Motivate me
by 23.OscarWilde
Summary: A bored Rock legend. A young, aspiring musician and the inspirational air of Memphis, Tennessee. No further summary, M-rated stuff ahead!
1. Act 00

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

Not much to add here. Came up with this idea after I saw Seasick Steve live about two weeks ago and wrote the first chapter in one hour after I got home from Pinkpop. (the festival where I saw Seasick Steve, love that man!) He and J.M Tatum's voice are the big motivators behind this tiny drabble.

So, let me know what you think. It'll be Yaoi so people who oppose to that, take this chance to turn around and never look back.

Enjoy!

O.

* * *

Bored.

That was the one word Sebastian Michaelis could use to describe his life, because in fact, he had been bored for his entire life. High school had been too boring so he dropped out. Women had bored him with mediocre nattering about emotions so he had mainly switched to men. But there had been one thing he never thought he'd tire off, his music.

His parents had always told themselves their son had dropped out of high school because he was a genius and when it came to rhythms and lyrics, Sebastian was. By the time he was eighteen, he was already a rock legend with three bestselling albums. He lived the dream with endless resources of money, glory and fame. By the time that he was twenty, that infamous curse struck again and he was once more, bored.

He drew back from the music world at his top with no real reason why. His fans still hoped and prayed for a return of their king of rock but Sebastian knew that if he ever got his interest in music back, it would once again be fleeting.

Now, he spend most of his days, hanging around his million dollar cabin in the Hamptons, living of his royalties and wasting his time drinking and watching television.

"Oi, Sebastian… you home?"

Ignoring the voice, the raven haired male kept focusing on the moaning and grunting males on his home cinema set while he absentmindedly strummed his guitar.

"You got the news channel on, because… fuck! What the hell happened here?" Bard made a quick survey of the living room. Empty pizza boxes, unopened mail, empty beer cans and scotch bottles and leftovers from all types of food were scattered around the room. The coffee table was buried underneath a pile of porn magazines, newspapers and coffee mugs.

"Jesus man, what the hell? Who made this mess?"

Sebastian gazed up at his friend from below. "I did, obviously. You see anybody else around here?"

Bard jumped over a pile of dirty clothes and avoided a crawling pizza box. "I don't know, there could be someone buried underneath all of this junk… that reminds me, where's Hannah? Did you lose her in all this shit?"

"Haha, it's so funny I forgot to laugh. I fired the skank. She was bitching about this as well," he gestured around the room.

"No," Bard feigned surprise and clasped a hand over his heart. "How dare she," he mocked.

Sebastian snapped a finger at his friend, deadly intent flickering through his crimson eyes. "Shut the fuck up. That contempt is the exact reason I fired her. She had too much fucking attitude for a maid."

Bard rolled his eyes and muttered the fame was still going to his head before he leaped over another pile of garbage and plopped down on the couch. He recoiled and gagged at the scenes that flashed over the screen.

"How the fuck can you watch that?" He cursed, looking for the remote between the pillows.

Sebastian shrugged and placed his guitar on the cushion next to him. "Easy, I just watch. I can even jack off on it, see," he plunged his hands in his jeans and stroke his semi hard dick.

"What the fuck, dude," Bard shoved him over and snatched the remote from under his friend's ass.

"I was fucking watching that," Sebastian fumed.

"I just want to watch the news, ok. I heard something on the radio on my way over," Bard switched through the channels until he found one with up-to-date news.

"What kind of news could someone like you be interested in? Hugh Hefner went bankrupt or something?" Sebastian joked.

"Shut up," Bard snapped, wagging a finger in front of his lips while he turned up the volume. Sebastian slumped in the comfortable grey cushions, shoved some magazines off the coffee table and flopped his feet down.

"Breaking celebrity news. The famous and immensely popular country band Collide is no longer. After long consideration, the indifferences between the lead singer and lead guitarist could not be solved. Fans gather outside their recording studio and mourn the death of the band that made country music immensely popular again."

"Fuck me! So it's actually true!"

Sebastian glanced sideways at the exclamation of his friend. With his now stiff erection in hand, he thought about it for a minute before he quickly disregarded the idea and told himself he couldn't possibly be that desperate to get laid.

"That fucking sucks. I really liked that band. They were brilliant!"

"Who the fuck are they?" Sebastian declared, faking interest in a band his friend seemed to have taken a liking to without his knowledge.

"You don't know them? Oh look, there's a picture. The blonde one is the front man and lead singer, but the real genius is the lead guitarist. He's fucking brilliant."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at the picture, focusing on what he assumed to be the lead guitarist. "The one with the foul look and the glasses?"

"No, next to him, the kid with the eye patch."

His crimson eyes averted to the youngest member of the former band. With his navy locks and bright blue eye, he was a very handsome image to behold.

"So… what kind of music do they do? Pirate slang songs?"

Bard rolled his eyes and shoved the chortling Sebastian. "Not funny, dude. That guy lost his eye in an accident."

"Oh really? What kind of an accident? A bar fight in Tortuga?"

Bard choose to ignore Sebastian. "I tell you dude. That kid could even make a fucking banjo cry. He used to date that foul looking ass but that guy cheated on him with the front man. Cool as he was, Ciel didn't give fuck as long as they could work together as a band but the lead singer wanted to change their entire image and style, or so they say. Dude, it sucks that there won't be any more guitar solos from that kid… he should continue with a new band or something."

Sebastian stroke his lips with the tips of his digits and hummed to himself. "Perhaps he should…"

* * *

Ciel snapped his head up to his father and squinted his eye at him. "What the fuck do you mean that I should quit?"

Vincent massaged his throbbing temples. "Language, Ciel," he warned him. "I mean that now that your band has dissolved, you might consider going back to school."

The navy haired male rose to his feet, his hands clenching next to his side. "How the fuck could you even think about that?"

"Honey," his mother stepped forward and wrapped a loving arm around him. "You're still young. Why not go back to college and wait with that band thing until you're a little older."

Vincent slapped a hand over his eyes and mentally prepared himself for his son's inevitable outburst.

"Band thing? Band thing! Do you even think about your words before you spit them out or do you just throw them in a bowl, mix it a little and pick out whatever floats by? Are you as dumb as you look? I know you're blonde but this is the zenith of stupidity!"

"Don't talk to your mother like that!" Vincent snapped, wagging a threatening finger at him.

"I wouldn't have to talk to her like that if she wasn't acting like a fucking moron. How could I postpone my music career to go to college and study something I have no interest in. I'm made for this… I was born for the music and you fucking know that."

Vincent exhaled a weary sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You have no band, Ciel. What are you going to do? Continue your career alone? It won't sell when you don't have a good front man to lead you."

"I can be my own front man," Ciel muttered, realizing but too stubborn to admit that his father was right.

"No, Ciel. You know that's not true," Vincent leaped forward and squeezed his son's shoulders. "Look, son. I know you're a guitar genius, I bought you your first guitar. But, you also know that you cannot sing to save your life."

"Now you're exaggerating," Rachel interrupted her husband. "Ciel has a good voice."

"Alright," the older male admitted. "He has a good enough voice but it cannot carry an entire album. He needs someone who can be the front man and lead singer. Hell, he also needs people to provide the bass and the drums."

"I can find a new band," Ciel murmured, staring at his shoes.

Rachel exchanged a look with her stubborn husband. She knew all too well that Vincent wanted their son to take his place in the company when he retired and even if Ciel was a smart enough businessman, his heart wasn't in it. All she wanted for her son was to be happy, even if that meant that he would be a guitarist in a band.

"Give him a chance," Rachel bargained in a soft voice. "If he can find a new band, he could continue where he left off. You know he was born to do this, dearest."

Vincent looked from one to the other. Their eyes equally blue with the same innocent and pleading gleam in them. He exhaled a growl and dropped his chin to his chest.

"Fine, as long as he can find a new band," Vincent gave in, reluctantly.

Ciel's lips curled into a wide smile and he surprised his father with one of his rare hugs. Standing back, the smile had dropped and his eye was serious again.

"Can you arrange a press conference for this afternoon?"

Vincent's jaw dropped. "This afternoon? Why in God's name?"

Ciel turned on his heels and rummaged through his backpack. He retrieved a flyer and handed it to his father. "Because I want to compete in this competition."

Vincent's eyes quickly scanned the yellowed paper. "That's impossible," he spoke while snapping his head up to his son. "This competition is next month, you cannot find a band that quickly, let alone have them to your liking."

Ciel set his jaw, the compelling attitude he inherited from his father strong evident in his aura. "If I don't compete, that son of a bitch will win, with my songs! I need to beat him."

"Impossible," Vincent spat, turning the paper and tapping on the regulations. "You cannot enter the competition with the same songs."

"I know… that's why I need you to hold a press conference today so that I can start writing new songs and rehearse and record them with my new band."

Vincent's mouth moved, but no words crossed his lips as he stared wide-eyed at his son, incredulity in his brown eyes. "You want to record a fucking new album within a month?" He exclaimed after a few moments of tensed silence.

"Language, dear," Rachel reminded him with a cheeky wink to her son.

Ciel chortled and nodded yes. "I will succeed and beat those animals. Now," he turned his father and pushed him to the hallway of their mansion. "Go make it happen, I'll start on the new songs."

Vincent protested against it, but he knew it was a lost cause. Rachel kissed her son on the cheek and followed her husband out, promising her son she would take care of it.

* * *

"And then he did this amazing thing," Bard jumped onto the couch and had a tortured look on his face while he tried to imitate another guitar solo of Ciel on his air guitar.

Sebastian watched him with contempt, an eyebrow raised while he shook his head and told his friend that he never fathomed that someone could actually fuck up a fake guitar solo.

"Breaking news…" Sebastian turned his eyes to the television and the news channel that was still running on it. "The manager of Ciel Phantomhive has announced in a press conference that his son means to continue his music career with a new band."

Bard stopped his actions, jumped off the couch and sat on the tip of it while he stared as if hypnotized at Vincent Phantomhive.

"After much consideration, Ciel has decided to continue his music career. As of now, we are looking for new band members. Auditions will be held at the end of this week at our private recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee."

"Oh-my-fucking-god!" Bard declared slowly. Sebastian rolled his eyes at him and reached in his jeans pocket to reach for his vibrating phone. He snorted and pressed accept.

"Faustus," he stated bored.

"Michaelis. Are you watching the news?"

"Sadly enough, yes," Sebastian confirmed, eyeing the cheering and skipping Bard who bounced around the room like Tigger. He chortled low when his blonde friend tumbled backwards into a pile of dirty clothes and garbage.

"How about it? We never tried country before."

Sebastian kept snickering while he watched Bard sniff at the sock that covered his mouth. The blonde wrinkled his nose in disgust and ripped the piece of clothing off his face.

"C'mon Claude, country? Are you fucking serious?" Sebastian declared shocked. "I'm sorry but I don't play the banjo."

Something crunched under Bard's hand and he picked it up. It were unopened fan letters. He waved them at his friend. Sebastian just growled and shook his head. The blonde ignored it and went ahead, opening them and reading them out loud.

"You were the one who was looking for a new sound, something to drag you out of your boredom. What if it's country? The kid is a genius and we could make a lot of money off him," Claude continued.

"_Dear Sebastian_," Bard began reading. "_I was so sorry to hear you stopped making albums and announced you were taking a break for an undetermined period of time. Your music and lyrics inspired me to get help with my depressions and your voice still drags me through some rough days. I hope you decide to return to the music world and inspire us to live. A devoted and waiting fan._"

"Shut up, Bard," Sebastian threw a magazine at his friend. Bard dodged it easily and opened the next letter.

"He's right, Sebastian," Claude told him in a serious tone of voice. "This stupid break has gone on too long. Either you decide to do something about your boredom and join that kid's band or Alois and I will move on a find another lead singer. Your choice."

"_Dear Mister Michaelis. My heart started to bleed when I heard you were going to stop make music. I saw all your concerts, either live or on the television and I know all your songs by heart. You're such a passionate and talented musician and I hate to see all of that go to waste. Know that we, your fans, will always believe in you and hope for your return. Much love and the warmest feelings towards you and your band, a hopeful fan._"

"Don't give me a fucking ultimatum, Claude. I made that band."

"Yes, you did. But you also fucking ruined it. This is our chance, to change our music and continue our career. Alois and I are already going to that kid's audition this Friday. If you want us to get back together, we'll see you there. Otherwise, good luck wallowing in self-pity."

Sebastian growled. "Fuck you… Claude," he lowered the phone, the faint sound of the dial tone seemed to mock him.

"_Sebastian. Your music inspired me to start my own band. I don't know if we'll ever be as good as you but I would like to thank you for the inspiration. When I found out that you quit music, it motivated me to become as big a musician as you were. Hopefully, we'll meet someday and I can give you that same motivation and inspiration you gave me. Thanks for everything, Ciel Phantomhive._"

The raven haired male snapped his head up. Bard's wide set eyes stared stunned at his friend.

"Don't get any fucking ideas, Bard," Sebastian growled before pushing himself up and stomping out of his living room to get himself a fresh bottle of scotch. From his storage, he heard the front door slam and when he got back in the living room, his friend was gone. Bard had left the letter on the couch and wrote something at the bottom of it. Sebastian reached down and narrowed his eyes at the 'grow a fucking pair and go to that audition' his friend had doodled down. He growled annoyed, sank down on the couch and switched back to the porn channel.

* * *

Ciel threw some old test results into the garbage bin that stood next to his locker. Cleaning it out gave him such a serene and accomplished feeling that he grinned the entire time he was doing it.

"So, you're actually leaving?"

Ciel looked up and smiled at the blonde.

"I am, Elizabeth."

She snorted and rolled her green eyes while she nudged him with her elbow. "When are you going to start calling me Lizzy? Elizabeth is so formal and I thought we were good friends."

Ciel chortled and took down his Black Butler poster from the inside of his locker. His eyes briefly scanned the excruciatingly handsome front man of the late band before he handed it to Lizzy. "Here, you have it… something to remind me by."

The blonde blinked at him before she bursted into giggles and dotting over the raven haired male on the poster. She face palmed and cooed how handsome he looked in worn jeans and half buttoned up dress shirt.

Ciel rolled his eyes and snickered at the only friend he had made in college. From the moment he started here, Lizzy had had a crush on the handsome navy haired male but when he made it clear he couldn't return her feelings because he was gay, they became close friends and study partners.

"I'm going to miss you," she grimaced, rocking back and forth on her heels.

Ciel smiled and quickly caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "I'll miss you too, but we can stay in touch."

Her face lit up and she nodded fierce, her ponytail bouncing up and down. "We'll do that. I'll write you every day and I'll come and visit your concerts when you're in the neighbourhood."

"You better," Ciel told her with a grin, throwing his books into the box that stood at his feet.

Lizzy turned when she heard excited squeals and hushed whispers behind her. The students were used to see Ciel in these halls and respected his privacy, so she wondered what all the ruckus was about. Ciel jerked forward and bumped his nose against his locker door when Lizzy let out a high pitch squeal and grabbed his jacket.

"What the fuck?" He cursed, rubbing the sore, red spot on his nose.

"It's him… oh my god Ciel, it's him," Lizzy went on, ignoring her friend's swearing and grabbing a tighter hold of his leather jacket. "I think I'm going to faint… catch me," she tipped over but Ciel didn't bother to sweep down and catch her before she hit the floor.

"What the fuck is up with you, woman?" Ciel closed his locker and turned his head to the right. He sucked a breath of air in his lungs and chewed on the inside of his cheek to keep himself from screaming.

Student's followed in his wake and reached into their backpacks to retrieve pieces of paper, pens and mobiles to take pictures. He ignored most of them and just walked on, an air of talent, sex and domination around him. It was him, the Black Butler himself, dressed in worn jeans, a white dress shirt, a tailored vest and converse. His crimson eyes were fixed on Ciel and a lopsided smirk curled his lips when he halted in front of his navy haired junior.

"Hello, Ciel," he spoke, his voice deep and smooth. It made pleasurable shivers run up and down Ciel's back. The junior swallowed audibly before he caught his ability to speak again.

"Y-You know my name," he stammered.

The raven haired senior chortled low and combed his digits through his locks. Long bangs framed his handsome face and several strands fell in his bedroom eyes.

"Of course I do," he retrieved a letter from his back pocket and handed it to his junior. Ciel mashed his brows together for a moment before his eye drooped to the paper. He unfolded it and read the lines.

"So, here I am," Sebastian began, stepping closer. Ciel shivered when the senior leaned in and his warm breath tickled the junior's neck. He bit his bottom lip when he felt the moist lips graze his ear and almost moaned when he heard the smooth voice whisper. "Motivate me."

* * *

No smut... I hated myself as well haha.

Reviews are most welcome, naturally. A well rounded review is the best award, blah shit fuck, or whatever that little screen says. It is true indeed and motivating reviews make for quick updates. (They do but my never ending inspiration does that as well)

Thanks for reading, period!


	2. Act 02

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

_For all the dears that reviewed this. Thank you! You're support is what motivates me!_

Meh, I was actually going to wait until I had at least 20 reviews but that might be wishful thinking. Besides, I am really not someone who likes to threaten with not updating if I don't get reviews.

For those who like this story, I also have another Sebastian/Ciel smut called the Circus Macabre. Updated it yesterday and I'm already panning out the next chapter which I will probably post tomorrow. Depending on my mood.

To answer some questions:

- Who were the other members of Collide? _You will find out two names of the 3 other members of that band._

_- _Where do I get my inspiration? _This came to me after seeing Seasick Steve live but it also comes to me when I listen to anime soundtracks or Bruce Springsteen :D_

Enjoy!

O.

* * *

Ciel stared motionless at the tall, raven haired celebrity that stood in front of him. He wanted to say something but his voice refused to produce any sound other than some guttural groans. He had been a fan of Black Butler, and Sebastian in particular, for years but he had never fathomed what it would be like to meet him in person.

Sebastian arched an eyebrow at the navy haired male, another smirk curling his deep red lips when he saw the hard time he was giving his junior by just showing up, unannounced.

"Y-You know my name," Ciel stammered again.

Sebastian chortled and brushed his fingertips over his lips. "Yes, I thought we already established that," he nodded idly to the letter Ciel was clenching in his hands.

"But how could you be so sure _I _am that Ciel," the younger male continued.

Sebastian shrugged and combed his fingers through his raven locks again. "I don't think there are that many Phantomhives who are named Ciel. Besides, I watch the news. I heard about your band, that sucks, kid."

Ciel grimaced, his eye drooping to Sebastian's shoes. "So, you heard it too?"

The older male nodded and gazed around him. It seemed like time had stopped in the hallway and everybody had ceased what they were doing just to stare at the pair. "I think the entire world heard about it… look, Ciel. Is there somewhere private where we could talk?"

Ciel's heart skipped a beat and he had to really compose himself not to scream out loud. With as much nonchalance as he could muster, he shrugged. "Sure, there's an espresso bar just down the block."

Sebastian threw his head in his neck and laughed. Ciel stared deadpanned at him while the senior tried to collect himself. He straightened his head and looked the navy haired student in the eye. "Espresso bar, you're still so deliciously innocent. Come on, I think I know a good pub somewhere around here." He nodded down the corridor and started to walk away.

Ciel's eye watched him go and his brain screamed for him to follow, but his body refused to react. As if it was still in shock of meeting this legend.

"Are you coming, Phantomhive?" Sebastian threw a quick look over his shoulder when he realized the younger male wasn't following him.

"Y-Yes," Ciel reached down, picked up the box and took a quick sprint to catch up with Sebastian.

Hushed whispers and stares followed the two males as they crossed the plaza of the university. Sebastian seemed to be ignoring them, so Ciel tried to do this as well. It proved to be harder for the younger male since most of the students had been classmates of his.

"It's almost like they've never seen a celebrity before," Sebastian murmured suddenly, his eyes darting left and right behind his wayfarer sunglasses.

"That's probably because they've never seen one before," Ciel pointed out, a bit startled about the older male's words.

Sebastian glanced sideways, let his sunglasses sink down the bridge of his nose and scanned the navy haired student over the rim. "You shouldn't think so low of yourself," he told him with a handsome smirk.

Ciel could barely swallow the moan and hoped his stiffening erection wasn't showing through his dark, slim jeans. "T-Thank you," he whispered with flustered cheeks.

Sebastian winked. "Anytime kid. It's that way."

* * *

Walking down the streets of Memphis was no different from crossing the university grounds. Girls fainted and screamed in their ears. Guys told Sebastian how good he was and that he rocked. Cars stopped in the middle of the street, their drivers getting out only to catch a glimpse of Sebastian Michaelis.

"I thought that typical fan shit would've subsided by now," Sebastian growled in Ciel's ear through gritted teeth before he slapped another fake smile on his lips and signed the hundredth pair of boobs. "I'm glad you didn't react like a fan girl when you saw me."

The inside of Ciel's cheek was bleeding by now. He had chewed on it the entire time he had been in the presence of his role model to keep himself from screaming 'oh my god' or 'I love you'. He didn't want to be reduced to just another fan by the handsome senior.

"Thank god, we're here," Sebastian opened a red painted wooden door for Ciel and nodded inside. The junior's eyes had to adjust to the dark room and he coughed when he inhaled old cigarette smoke. He smiled and thanked Sebastian when the senior gently patted him on the back.

"My, my… I can't believe my eyes."

Ciel's eye darted to the direction the voice came from and he recoiled at the figure that stood behind the bar. Irregular scars ran over his face and a cowlick covered most of his electric green eyes. His silver ponytail was in strong contrast to the black Guinness shirt he was wearing.

"Sebastian Michaelis, long time no see," the tender went on, slinging his cleaning cloth over his shoulder and leaning on the tap.

Sebastian finally produced a real grin again and gave the figure a sharp nod. "Undertaker. Can you make sure they stay out," he pointed over his shoulder.

The newly assigned Undertaker walked around the bar, arms spread. "Don't I ever, come 'ere," he pulled Sebastian into a tight embrace and patted him on the back. "Claude and I were just talking about you the other week, how you never come around anymore."

"Claude been here?"

"Yes, him and his little bitch," Undertaker reached into the pocket of his khaki Bermuda shorts and went to lock the door. "So, how you been? Who's the new meat?" Undertaker made Ciel yelp involuntarily when he flung an arm around the student's shoulders.

"Oeh, he's jumpy," Undertaker joked with a teasing wink. "The usual recipe?"

"Is there any other?" Sebastian retorted to his friend as the tender walked back to the bar and retrieved two pint glasses.

"So, what brings you to good old Queen Victoria? I thought you were playing a hermit up in the Hamptons?" Undertaker opened the beer tap and filled the glasses halfway with Guinness.

Sebastian sauntered to the bar, hands in his pocket and nonchalance in his walk. Ciel followed silently, his eye scanning the entire room.

"I came here for this kid," Sebastian sat down on a barstool and offered Ciel a broad smile. The two males studied the student as he slowly shoveled to the bar and took in his surroundings.

"What are you, a tourist?" Ciel whipped around to Sebastian. The raven haired male grinned and patted on the barstool next to him. "Just relax, sit down and have a drink."

Undertaker finished tapping the beers and placed them on the bar. "Yes, we won't bite," he joked with another wink before walking to the other end of the bar to help a regular.

"Want a smoke?" Sebastian reached into his tailored vest and offered Ciel a Lucky Strike. The younger male rose his hand.

"No thank you, I don't smoke. I've got asthma."

Sebastian's hand stopped mid air, leaving the cigarette hanging between his lips and the package. With a soft sigh, he started stuffing the stick back in its container.

"Oh, that's ok. You can smoke. I took my medicine this morning."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," he shoveled on his chair and turned to the glass of black beer that stood in front of him. He clasped his hands around the moist glass and heard the click of a Zippo lighter. Sebastian inhaled delighted and huffed out the tobacco with a soft moan. Ciel studied his senior through the corner of his eye and wished he could be the butt of the cigarette that was loosely balancing between his soft and moist lips.

"Well, cheers," Sebastian picked up his pint and clinked the glass against Ciel's before taking a large, refreshing sip.

The younger male studied the thick, foamy head of the beer and bend forward to smell it.

"You don't like Guinness?" Sebastian's voice sounded a little disappointed and guilty for not even asking the student what he would've preferred to drink.

"Oh no," Ciel shot up and offered his senior his widest and most genuine smile. "It is not that… I just don't drink that much," he admitted with slightly flushed cheeks.

Sebastian chortled low. "You don't drink, neither do you smoke and you've got asthma. You're starting to sound a bit like a typical band geek, kid."

Ciel chuckled, dipped his finger in the foam and stuck it in his mouth after. He felt Sebastian's eyes follow his moves closely. "Then you'll probably be happy to know that I actually started out in the band at my high school… bottom's up!"

He threw down an equal amount of beer Sebastian had done, only, with him it didn't go as smoothly as it had done with the raven haired male. He coughed loudly and slammed his chest when half of the beer went down the wrong pipe.

"Easy there," Sebastian patted him on the back, chortling softly. "Do you want some water?"

Ciel nodded yes, blinked his tears away and inhaled a wheezing breath through his nose. Sebastian reached over the bar, grabbed a freshly cleaned glass and filled it with tap water. Ciel drank it eagerly to wash away the roasted flavor of the stout.

"Would you like something else to drink?" Sebastian offered, raising his hand to call the bartender.

"N-No," Ciel wheezed, grabbing Sebastian's bare forearm and squeezing. "I'm ok… really. I just need to slow down. Thanks for the water."

Sebastian dropped his hand with a smile and nodded. "Alright. Your decision."

* * *

They sat in silence for moments at an end. By the time Ciel was half way through his first, Sebastian had already ordered his second pint.

"So," Ciel finally began. He looked sideways at Sebastian and felt his cheeks flush when he saw the raven haired male slowly lick some foam from his upper lip. Ciel sucked his own bottom lip between his teeth while his eye followed the movement of the wet muscle.

"So," Sebastian repeated him, breaking the trance Ciel had been in. "Are you ok? You look flushed," Sebastian leaned forward and touched Ciel's burning cheek.

"Well… how would you feel if you were sitting here, having a beer with your role model?" Ciel snapped, his tone of voice harder than he had intended on.

Sebastian smirked and combed his digits through his hair. "I had no idea your admiration was that deep," he declared smugly.

"You read the letter," Ciel retrieved it from his pocket and slammed it down on the bar. "Now I find it hard to believe that you're just here because I sent it to you about two years ago."

Sebastian nodded and took a sip for courage. "Indeed, if only human actions were that selfless, this world could've been a better place."

Ciel narrowed his eye at him. "Then why are you here?"

"Alright," Sebastian turned on his stool and made Ciel yelp when he grabbed his hips and turned the student so that they were facing each other. "I came here because I heard you were starting a new band."

Ciel mashed his brows together. "Alright… and?"

"Oh wow, I thought that would've been clue enough and you would be jumping up and down like a little girl right now, but you're really going to make me say it, aren't you?"

"Say what?"

"I came here to offer myself as your new lead singer."

Ciel stared wide eyed at Sebastian, his mouth hanging open. "Excuse me?"

Sebastian sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're starting a new band, correct?"

"Yes."

"And by thus, you're looking for new band members."

"I am. We're having auditions this Friday."

"I know, so, I am here to suggest you take me on as your new lead singer."

Ciel briefly molded over the words Sebastian just spoke but they still made no sense in his head. "You want to be my new lead singer?" He repeated slowly, listening carefully to the words as they crossed his own lips. It still sounded strange but it was starting to sink in.

"You're kind of stating the obvious again, kid," Sebastian pointed out before turning to Undertaker and ordering two new beers.

"Wait a minute," Undertaker closed the tap and leaned heavy on the bar, his green eye studying Ciel intently. "You're that kid from that late country band Collide, aren't you?"

"I am," Ciel declared and chuckled when Sebastian slapped a hand over his eyes and muttered that Undertaker was a fucking moron to think he would come all the way to Memphis for some random kid he didn't know.

"You were in the band with that Aleister Chamber and Will Spears, right?"

"Up till a week ago, I was."

"Good thing you left. That Aleister guy was a talentless prick. You can do much better, take Michaelis for example," Undertaker nodded to his raven haired friend. "You two, could make musical history together. You would be like," Undertaker rolled his eyes to the ceiling while thinking. "Bruce Springsteen meets Elvis Presley… he was the King of Rock, right?"

Sebastian exhaled an annoyed breath. "Thank you for pointing that out for us. We really hadn't thought about it yet. Fucking brilliant, Undertaker."

"Always glad to help," he offered them their fresh beers with a wide smile and skipped to the other end of the bar again.

"Idiot," Sebastian growled, staring daggers at his beer.

"So," Ciel leaned forward and propped his cheek up against his knuckles. "You want to be in my new band?"

"Obviously," Sebastian retorted, studying the younger male suspiciously when he heard a sudden change in his intonation. He didn't stammer anymore and his voice was solid and smooth, it made pleasurable shivers run down Sebastian's spine.

"Come to the audition on Friday," Ciel told him with a nonchalant shrug while taking a sip of his Guinness.

Sebastian narrowed his eyes for a moment. "Yeah," he combed his fingers through his hair. "I was kind of hoping to avoid the entire audition thing."

"Oh," the student's lips curled into a lopsided smirk. "You want me to hire you on the spot?"

"Exactly. You already know my music and this is more of an offer from artist to artist rather than a negotiation if I'm good enough to be the lead singer of your band. I mean, come on… it's not like you're going to find someone better."

"Really?" Ciel mused nonchalant, realizing that he had the upper hand here. "I'm not so sure about that. I mean, no offence, you are a Rock legend but country is something entirely different. How can I be sure you're cut out to sing blues."

Sebastian's jaw slowly dropped as he stared at the navy haired male. His entire aura changed from insecure and impressed to arrogant and confident in seconds. He couldn't help but smirk and feel turned on by the sudden switch.

"Is there some way that I can persuade you?" Sebastian's hand reached into his pants pocket and his dick jerked when the digits accidentally stroke it through the fabric.

Ciel tilted his head, his eye focusing on the hand that had disappeared into the pocket of the jeans. He could barely hide his arousal when he saw the outlines of the thick and large bulge that was jerking against the worn fabric of the senior's pants.

"Yes," Ciel tore his gaze away and forced himself to look Sebastian in the eye. "You can suck me."

Shocked, Sebastian's hand let his checkbook go. "Excuse me?"

Ciel tilted his head and offered him a broad and smug smirk. "You heard me. You can come to the bathroom in about a minute, suck my dick and we'll see what happens," he told him boldly.

Sebastian gnashed his teeth, anger boiling in his stomach. "Why you arrogant, little…"

"No," Ciel put a finger against Sebastian's lips. "It's not wise to call your future partner names already. Leaves little to the imagination in the bedroom," he hopped off the barstool and he made Sebastian shiver when he ran his fingertips smoothly over his senior's thigh. "You do want to be the lead singer, don't you?" Ciel whispered in his ear, his voice husk with desire.

Barely able to hide his grin, Sebastian nodded. "You know I do…"

"Then I suggest you submit to _me_," Ciel rasped, his lips pressing a chaste kiss of Sebastian's ear before he walked towards the toilets.

He heard Sebastian call him an arrogant, little prick after all and chuckled about it. He wasn't sure if he could ever justify his actions to himself in the future but ever since he became a fan of Black Butler, he had wanted nothing more but have sex with Sebastian Michaelis.

* * *

Staring at himself in the mirror, Ciel wondered what the hell he was actually doing. He didn't recognize the lustful gleam in his own eye because he had never seen it before, not even when he was still with William. He was sure that in a few minutes, when he got back in the bar again, Sebastian would be gone and he actually wouldn't even blame him.

"What the hell were you thinking, idiot," he told himself while he open the faucet and threw cool water in his face. "You fucking ridiculous and pathetic moron," he cursed, gnashing his teeth at his own stupidity.

"If that's how you feel about it..."

Ciel whipped around on his heels. Sebastian leaned casually against the door frame, his arms crossed and his head tipped back.

"No..." Ciel swallowed and fidgeted with his fingers. "I didn't mean you..."

Sebastian chuckled and shook his head. "Then who _did _you mean."

Ciel dropped his hands next to his body and sucked his lungs full of air. He had started this, so he might as well finish it. Exhaling, he told himself he was in control and that gave him the necessary air of confidence again. He tipped his head back and smirked smugly.

"Not important. No..." He wagged his finger at Sebastian when the senior went to lock the door. "Leave it open."

A low growl welled up in Sebastian's chest and he moved so fast that he surprised the younger male when he pinned him against the wall. He held Ciel's hands in place on either side of the junior's head and bent down to graze the skin of Ciel's throat with his lips. Running his tongue up the tendons of the navy haired student's neck, he could taste his sweet cologne and the tangy salt of his sweat. He nibbled on the junior's chin for a moment before pulling back and looking him in the eye.

"What are you waiting for? Motivation?"

Sebastian smirked knowingly, leaned in and made Ciel's body jerk when he ran the tip of his tongue over the swollen red lips.

"Naturally," he murmured.

Ciel pressed his pelvis against Sebastian and saw his crimson eyes widen in the slightest when he felt the hard and jerking erection of his junior press against his own.

"This motivation enough?" Ciel reached out his neck and Sebastian sighed a delighted sigh in Ciel's mouth when the junior took the lead and kissed his senior hungrily.

* * *

DO NOT SHOOT ME! I'M JUST THE MESSENGER!

Haha, I am sorry guys. No smut yet, although it's heavily implied and we're getting closer. I think I spoiled you guys with **the Circus Macabre**, smut in chapter one!

I will get there... well, actually, Sebastian and Ciel will get there, naturally. But come on, we all like a little plot in our smuts, right? Even if it's just a mediocre part of the story, buried underneath smut, there should always be a plot.

And yeah! Undertaker! I love that crazy guy. I think he would fit perfectly in a dark and shady pub, serving people Guinness and scaring them by popping out of the shadows. Hehe, I gave him khaki Bermuda's and I think I'm going to pair some nice _vans_ with that.

That was it for me. I will check for grammar later, when I had another beer. (No Guinness, O. sad T^T) Reviews mean the world to me and I think we all know that by now, so, do it with me:

**~Wakame suki suki~**

Love you all, more than my failing heart can express or contain!

_(P.S. Go check out the Circus Macabre... it's actually a very nice read, if you like yaoi/SM/sex in general)_


	3. Act 03

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

Thank you, all of you, for the loving reviews. This chapter should be some sort of a reward and I hope you will like it. I am actually very proud of myself... and that is extremely hard for me to say these days.

Another thing, I actually know exactly where this story is going, just like with the Circus Macabre... yeah! I already wrote most of the ending (depressing)

Well for now, please my dears...

Enjoy!

O.

* * *

Ciel tipped his head back, smirking satisfied when he heard a disapproving moan rip from the older male's as he broke the excruciatingly slow kiss off.

"We're not here for that," Ciel's voice husk with lust. "We can save the loving for later," he added, teasingly licking his lover's earlobe.

Sebastian rolled his eyes to the ceiling and sucked his lip between his teeth. I had been such a long time that he had physical contact with anybody and he was planning on savoring every moment of it. Normally, he wouldn't obey people, especially not some guy he just met, but his throbbing erection forced him to sink down to his knees. He didn't bother to flounder with the button of Ciel's pants and the tearing of fabric filled the quiet and stuffy bathroom.

"You're eager, aren't you?" Ciel watched the older male work his pants down until they slumped around his ankles. "Very eager," the younger male produced a guttural groan when Sebastian took the still clothed erection between his lips.

Ciel grabbed a fistful of Sebastian's raven locks and hissed as he watched his senior flick his tongue of the head of his dick.

Sebastian reached out his neck and set his teeth in the elastic band of the student's boxers and slowly tugged the piece of clothing down. His seductive crimson eyes locked with Ciel's blue one and made the younger male shiver under the ravishing gleam that glistened in his dark orbs.

The older male sat back for a few moments and took in the rigid dick. Precum glistered on the glans and dripped from the slit. He licked his lips and made Ciel moan when he tauntingly swirled his tongue around the head and lapped at the slit.

"Oh fuck… yes… like that… shit," Ciel cursed when Sebastian engulfed the twitching dick to the base. He bobbed back up and let the erection pop out of his mouth with a sloppy pop.

"You're good at this," the student murmured. "You have clearly done this before," he growled deep while Sebastian pressed his tongue against the slit, applied medium pressure and curled his lips around the ridge of the head.

"Good," Ciel licked his lips, a deep groan welling up in his throat. "Seems you're talented on more area's than just music and lyrics."

Sebastian licked around the glans, sat back and blew on the jerking cock while he gazed up in the lidded blue eye of the junior. "I have many hidden talents," he whispered, pressing his thumb on the frenulum and taking the shaft in his mouth again. Moving up and down, Ciel felt fire scorch through his entire body and all blood rushed to his groin.

"You only need the right motivation? Not," Ciel grinned before his voice dropped to a low growl. "Shit… fuck… fuck," the fingertips of Ciel's left hand scraped over the tiles while his other hand was tightly tangled in the silk black locks of his senior.

"I'm going to cum soon…" the student breathed, squeezing his eye shut while the older male jerked him off and gently sucked a ball into his mouth. "Sit in front of me and open your fucking mouth," Ciel commanded, taking over the stroking of his shaft.

Sebastian tipped his head back, opened his mouth obediently and stuck his tongue out. Ciel jacked himself up at a fast tempo and gazed down on his role model that kneeled at his feet and willingly waited for his seed.

"Shit…ah… Sebastian," Ciel gave one last strong stroke, aimed for the older male and spurted his seed all over his face.

The swing door slammed. Ciel temporarily tore his gaze from Sebastian and met the skeptical green eyes of Undertaker. The bartender sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned against the door frame.

Ciel's body jerked when he milked his cock, shooting his last bit of semen on Sebastian's tongue while he groaned satisfied and smirked down on the raven haired senior.

"I thought I told you I didn't want this kind of shit in my bar anymore," Undertaker broke the sexual tension in an annoyed tone of voice. "What if one of my customers had walked in?"

Sebastian grinned victorious at the student who sank down in front of him.

"Let me help you clean that up," Ciel whispered softly before he started to collect the semen from Sebastian's chin and cheeks with his tongue.

"Are you two even listening to me?" Undertaker hissed, throwing an apologetic look at a customer who asked if the toilet was occupied.

"Excuse me a moment," he raised his hand to the regular, stepped inside the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He whipped back to the pair and gagged when Ciel devoured Sebastian's lips and crashed his tongue against the senior's sharing the spoiled semen with him.

"Can you two move it along. You're beers have gone flat by now and other customers need to use the restroom," he warned them before he opened the door to a crack that was just big enough to fit himself through and slithered out.

Ciel gasped disappointed when Sebastian broke the kiss and rose to his full height. He reached out his arm for the student to take and easily pulled him to his feet.

"Missed a spot," Ciel murmured, wrapping his arms around Sebastian's waist and reaching out his neck to press a kiss on his jaw. The older male chuckled, tipped his head back and looked the student straight in the eye.

"Perhaps it's best if you straighten yourself," Sebastian nodded to the pants and boxers that still slumped around his ankles. "And get out of this filthy bathroom after," he declared.

"Not before I get another kiss," Ciel puckered his lips.

"You're quite demanding. Are you sure it wasn't your diva behavior that broke up your band," Sebastian joked, chuckling when Ciel's eye cracked open in shock and he slapped his senior on the arm.

"Take that back, you moron."

"Alright," Sebastian caved in, propping his hands under the navy haired students jaw and leaning in to brush his lips over the swollen red ones of Ciel. "I'll take it back, little diva."

Before Ciel could protest, Sebastian captured his lips in leisurely and warm embrace, their tongues softly crashing into one another. "Now," the older male rasped husk, tipping his head back to prevent Ciel from claiming his lips in another kiss. "Let's get you dressed."

"Dressed how? You tore my pants!"

Sebastian unbuckled his belt and pulled it through the loops. "We'll think of something," he whispered in his honey-like voice, sending shivers down Ciel's spine while he wrapped the belt around Ciel's hips and pulled him closer for another dazzling kiss.

* * *

Undertaker studied the two through his silver cowlick while Ciel and Sebastian sank down on their barstools again. They were both grinning like daft fools and every time their body made contact, they chortled softly.

"You guys are disgustingly cute together," Undertaker told them while placing two fresh beers on the bar. Sebastian narrowed his eyes at the drinks.

"We didn't order any."

"From the gentleman at the end of the bar," Undertaker nodded to the right. "But, for future references, no more hanky panky in my bathroom. I don't run a fucking honky tonky here," he rounded to bar to serve some guests that were cursing and kicking the slot machines in the back.

"Oh my god, is that Bruce Springsteen?" Ciel hissed in Sebastian's ear while he grabbed the older male's forearm and stared at the man that bought them a drink.

Sebastian peered down on the excited navy haired student. "Yes, it is… why don't you go over and ask him to sign your boobs," he quipped irritated.

Ciel cleared his throat, sat straight and apologized for his excited outburst. Sebastian raised his glass and smiled. "Thanks for the beer, Boss."

"Anytime, Michaelis," the man spoke in a low voice before throwing his whisky back and raising his glass to Undertaker to order a new one.

"You know Bruce Springsteen?" Ciel exclaimed in a harsh whisper, offering the music legend one of his biggest smiles to thank him for the drink.

"Meh, we hung out here a couple of times," Sebastian shrugged. "Good guy… I was going to introduce you but I can't have you drooling all over him like a fan girl… what?" Sebastian chuckled when Ciel slapped him again. "What was that for?"

"You know what that was for," Ciel snarled through gritted teeth. "I haven't been in this world as long as you. I can't react as cool as you do."

"Want to know my secret?"

Ciel nodded yes. "Of course I do."

Sebastian leaned into Ciel. "It helps if you see them like regular people. They eat, they breathe, they sleep and they take a crap, just like anybody."

"How poetic," Ciel snorted.

The raven haired male smirked. "Thank you. I was thinking about making a country song out of it."

Ciel rolled his eye and nudged Sebastian with his elbow. "Very funny, ever considered becoming a standup comedian?"

"No… comedy doesn't really satisfy me."

"Oh really?" Ciel propped his cheek up against his knuckle and smirked cheekily. "What does satisfy the Black Butler then?"

Sebastian's lips curled into a handsome grin while he looked Ciel up and down. "Perhaps I would like you to find out on your own what satisfies me."

Ciel subtly placed a hand on Sebastian's knee. "I think I have good hunch," he whispered husk, his eye not losing contact with the sultry crimson ones while his hand ran up Sebastian's leg. The older male didn't move a muscle and his seductive grin stayed in place, even when the digits stroke over the stiffening bulge.

"How about this," Ciel's finger hooked behind the pants and unbuttoned it a smooth move. He finally saw a different emotion flash over the chiseled face when he plunged his hand into the jeans.

"Not a honky tonky," Undertaker snapped softly while he slithered by. Sebastian and Ciel exchanged a look before they both bursted out into laughter.

* * *

It was already evening when they finally left the bar, both pleasantly mellow from the pints and sex they had. The streets were crowded but around this time of night, nobody bothered to look other people in the eye. They walked down the sidewalk towards Sebastian's car without getting disturbed by fans.

"So, Bruce and I get accidentally locked into that recording room together and we spend hours just jamming," Sebastian stopped next to his red Cadillac and turned to Ciel. The student pinched his lips and let his eye glide over the car before he looked his senior in the eye again.

"An oldtimer, classic and not what I had expected."

Sebastian sank down on the hood, crossed his arms and tilted his head. "What did you expect then?"

"Oh, I don't know. A Porsche or some other cliché sports car," Ciel shrugged nonchalant.

"Please," Sebastian snorted. "I don't have a midlife crisis, besides," he reached down and lovingly stroke the red bonnet. "Mary was the first thing I bought when I got my first paycheck."

"Mary? You named your car Mary?" Ciel declared in disbelief.

"Yes," Sebastian grinned. "Am I already country enough for you?"

Ciel stood back and looked Sebastian up and down. He was anything but country. If for anything, he looked like a model, advertising for Cadillac.

"No," Ciel leaped forward and threw a look left and right. The shadows of the enormous oak tree the car was parked under enfolded the pair in darkness and people who passed them were likely to see what they were doing. So, he pushed himself between his senior's legs and leaned in. "You're sexy," he purred in Sebastian's ear.

"Baby, you do know that this is the South and that this shit could still get us killed," Sebastian warned him, his eyes shooting left and right.

"I like to live on the edge," Ciel murmured before dragging his tongue over the outer shell of Sebastian's ear. He felt the older male chuckle and snuggled a little closer between his legs to get a good feeling of the vibrations of his body. He was shocked to find that he already loved the feeling of leaning into the fit and warm body of Sebastian.

"That is a great attitude. Dangerous… but I like that," Sebastian whispered husk, his hands itching to touch the navy haired male's body. "You have no idea how much I love that attitude."

Ciel surprised Sebastian by cupping his erection through his worn jeans. He tipped his head back and looked in his crimson eyes. "I think I have a fairly good idea," he told his lips before engulfing them in a quick and rough kiss.

They gasped into each other's mouths, the breaths that did escaped their lips forming vaporous clouds in the sudden cool September air. Neither of them struggled for domination in the kiss and succumbed to the talent of the other.

Ciel chuckled at the still puckered lips of Sebastian as he pulled back. The older male was obviously waiting for him to continue but he felt his phone vibrating in his pants. It were his parents, no doubt, wondering where he was at this late hour.

"I have to go," he pressed a chaste kiss on the waiting lips and pushed himself off the car.

"Wait," Sebastian leaped up from his car. Ciel turned in his pace and walked backwards. He jerked his head in a manner for Sebastian to go on.

"What about the band thing?"

A broad grin curled Ciel's lips. "I guess I'll see you at the audition," he spoke before circling on his heels and jogging off.

Sebastian shook his head and chuckled. "Miserable little opportunist," he murmured amused. He rounded his car, got in and started his engine. It still purred as smoothly as it had done when he first bought her. He shoved his sunglasses up his nose, made a sharp u turn and drove off.

* * *

It took him little over half an hour to drive to his second home in Meeman-Shelby Forest State park near Millington. Once he drove up his driveway, he saw two cars were parked near the entrance. He slowed down and halted next to the black Chevy pickup. The window slid down smoothly.

"Evening, Michaelis."

Sebastian lowered his sunglasses and stared at the driver over the rim. "What are you doing here, Faustus? How did you know I was going to be here?" He heard another car door open and close but paid little attention to it.

Claude shrugged, his golden eyes glistening with slight excitement behind his rimless glasses. "Educated guess. I knew you would never pass on a golden opportunity like this. You did arrive a little later than I had anticipated on," he checked his watch and tapped on it.

"Sebastian!" A voice screamed on his side of the car.

Sebastian yelped involuntarily when someone nearly hurled themselves at him and he blinked surprised at the blonde that had tumbled over and now lay in his lap. Alois grinned broad at him, his pale blue eye twinkling with excitement.

"It's been such a long time. Why didn't you ever bother to call?" The blonde threw his arms around Sebastian's necks and cuddled closer into the warm chest. "I missed you so much," he faked a Southern accent and sniffled.

Sebastian threw a glance sideways. "Is he baked again?"

Claude raised an eyebrow. "What kind of a redundant question is that? Isn't he always?"

The raven haired male glowered at the blonde in his lap. Alois was munching down another piece of undefined cake that he magically conjured from somewhere off his body. He offered it to Sebastian with an innocent smile. The older male hissed and wrinkled his nose.

"Mind getting off me," he snarled.

Alois wagged his finger at him and tapped on his cheek after. "Not after you properly greeted me and tell me how much you missed me."

Sebastian cocked his head to Claude. The latter just shrugged his shoulders and told him bluntly that he was on his own. With a tortured sigh, Sebastian bent over. He pushed a blonde lock away, grazed Alois's ear with his lips and whispered that he had missed him before pressing a kiss on his cheek.

"That's more like it. I missed you too, babycakes," Alois chirped. He wiggled and grunted until he had moved over to the passengers' seat.

"What are you guys doing here anyway?" Sebastian shut his engine off and got out. Claude opened his car door, got out and made Alois giggle when he reached down and heaved the blonde over his shoulder.

"Well, we were going to come here for that audition and since we live in Manhattan, we thought it would be such a dread to drive all the way up here on Friday. Besides, this way we can carpool."

Sebastian snorted and reached in his jeans. "How very ecological of you," he quipped while walking the three steps up his wooden porch. "You guys been here long?"

They heard some ruffling of bushes on the right and a blonde head popped up. The figure grabbed the wooden railing, heaved himself over it and jumped onto the porch. "No luck with the backdoor either," Bard spoke while wiping some dirt off his jeans.

Sebastian whipped to Claude. "You assholes were trying to break into my house?"

"Geez, calm down," the other male soothed in an uninterested and monotonous voice, his stoic demeanor still in place. "You know us, so technically, we wouldn't break in."

"Yes you would," Sebastian retorted.

Claude waved it away. "Besides my point. Furthermore, who doesn't leave a key in a rock for his friends when they drop by?"

"Someone who doesn't appreciate his friends dropping by, unannounced," Sebastian quipped while unlocking the front door. "Get in," he jerked his head to the hallway. "We have a lot to go over before that audition."

* * *

Ciel paced up and down the hallway of his recording studio. It was near five and his father demanded he had formed a new band before six. Sebastian hadn't shown yet and he was starting to fear that his little teasing pissed him off.

"Are you ok, dear?" His mother halted him in the middle of his pace and studied his worried face. "So far, you haven't chosen any of the candidates yet… are you waiting for someone?"

Ciel swallowed and stared at the large, oak entrance doors. "I actually am, although I'm not entirely sure if he'll still show," he admitted.

When the doors opened, they both snapped their heads up. Ciel's smile dropped immediately when he saw the blonde and black head enter.

"What the fuck do you want?" He snarled.

Aleister arched an eyebrow at him and scowled. "Easy with the temper and attitude, Phantomhive… we're here to pick up some of our equipment and our music."

"You mean _my _music," Ciel emphasized.

"Your music?" Aleister repeated. "Really? Because I remember I sang all of it," he quipped snobbishly.

"I wrote all those songs, you dickhead and you know it," Ciel growled, snapping an accusing finger at the two.

"Is something wrong?" Vincent entered the hall. His friendly features altered drastically when he saw Aleister and William in the doorway.

"Vincent. How nice to see you," Aleister twittered happily. After, he chuckled amused at the deadly glare the two males gave him and stepped forward. "So… I heard you're starting a new band. With him as your manager," he snapped a finger at Vincent. "Any luck yet?"

Ciel set his jaw, not ready to admit his inevitable defeat yet. "Yes. As a matter of fact, Sebastian Michaelis is going to be my new lead singer."

"Who?" Vincent looked through his lists of applicants. "He hasn't applied. Or shown up for that matter."

"He will, dad," Ciel snarled angrily, his eyes not leaving the grinning blonde in front of him. "He will and we are going to kick your asses at the competition next month."

"Mmm, really? And how are you going to do that? Let's see," Aleister placed a finger against his chin and rolled his eyes to the ceiling while he pretended to think. "You don't have a band. You have no lead singer and you have no songs. So, how do you purpose to do that, Ciel?"

"By kicking your sorry ass with better songs."

Aleister turned to the door and squealed involuntarily. Sebastian, leaning against the door frame, tilted his chin and looked down on the blonde and the black head.

"Is there a problem here?" He asked on, his eyes not averting from the now bamboozled blonde. "If not, we," Sebastian stepped out of the way and let Alois and Claude enter. "Would really love for you to get the hell out so that we can… audition," his eyes now darted to Ciel and he made the navy haired male weak to his knees when he winked.

"You're hired!"

Vincent and Ciel turned shocked to Rachel. She had slapped a hand over her mouth, her cheeks coloring. She lowered it and giggled softly. "I'm sorry, it was a heat of the moment thing," she reached out and clenched Ciel's shoulders. "It's your decision, pumpkin."

"And you'll have to make it fast," Vincent checked his watch. "If you want that album out in two weeks, we best get started tonight," he waved a pile of papers at his son.

Ciel's eye turned to the doorway. The entire Black Butler band stood at his doorstep and were ready to audition to become part of his new band. In the late sunlight and their casual ensembles, they looked more like Rock stars than they had ever done at any of their concerts.

"So… what do you say, Phantomhive," Sebastian spoke, his honey-like voice low and seductive. "Ready to get this show on the road?"

Ciel's lips curled into a broad smile while his eyes briefly darted to Aleister and William before meeting Sebastian's crimson ones again.

"Yes, you're most certainly hired."

* * *

SMUT... SMUT! Yes, my dear lovelies... SMUT! I hope it was worth the wait.

Oh, I love already love the relationship between Sebastian and Ciel... they're freakishly cute together. And yes, I added Bruce Springsteen, his is my ultimate musician (next to Michael Jackson and Johnny Cash). I couldn't resist.

Hope you liked this chapter. And blah... do I dare say I won't upload until I have 30 reviews. Well... we'll just see what happens I suppose. I am in a shit mood these days (stupid achy breaky heart) (Good Lord, did I quote Robby Ray Cyrus... I think I might be dying)

Love you all, thanks for reading and reviews, dears, review.


	4. Act 05

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

_This chapter was written while I listened to anime soundtracks. It's been such a long time since I could listen to that without bursting into tears._

_And, also... a special thanks to all the lovely people who reviewed!_

One can only wonder how long this stupid heartbreak/hiatus thing is going to last. I, for one, am very sick of it. It eats you up from the inside out and do you know what is worse... I haven't had a decent drink in 2 days. (which should actually be a good thing)

Well... anywho. The lastest disaster of **M****otivate me** is out. Do with it as you wish (no copying naturally... *awkward laugh*)

Enjoy!

O.

* * *

Aleister narrowed his eyes at the navy haired male.

"You think you're going to beat us with some inactive Rock stars? Well, I've got news for you," Aleister stepped forward and loomed over Ciel. "It won't happen."

"We won't beat you with just some inactive Rock stars," Aleister yelped involuntarily when he heard the deep voice close behind him. He slowly turned on his heels and stared in the crimson eyes that studied him with a hint of disgust in them. Sebastian bend down. "We will beat you with something they call talent. That what you're _not_ gifted with," he added with a lopsided smirk and a tilt of the head.

"I do have talent," Aleister argued, his eyes shooting to William for support. The brunette didn't even spare him a look while his green eyes darted between Ciel and Sebastian, a thoughtful frown on his face.

Alois skipped forward, his hands clasped on his back. "No, you really don't have any real talent," he told him in a cheerful voice. "Although, wearing that outfit and not feel ashamed about it might be a talent on its own," he finished with a nod and a broad smile.

"Now if you will excuse us," Claude halted behind Alois and repositioned his glasses with his middle finger. "We have an album to record and we don't want your lack of talent to rub off on us."

"Lack of… why you arrogant prick," Aleister snapped.

"Ey! Don't call my boyfriend an arrogant prick," Alois snarled, shoving Aleister.

Claude raised a finger. "Life partner, Alois. I am not your boyfriend," he corrected him, wagging his digit at him. "That makes me sound like some toy boy and I don't approve of that."

Alois giggled. "Toy boy. You're so cute when you're trying to be corrective. You know it will never work but I sure love to see you try," the blonde purred.

"Oh dear me," Rachel face palmed. "Aren't you two absolutely adorable together, and you," she walked over to Sebastian and fidgeted with his red and black checked shirt. "You're as cute as a button," she winked and whirled back to her son. "This might actually work, Ciel," she chirped.

"It will, as long as Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum get out so that we can get to work." Claude glowered at Aleister.

The blonde set his jaw. "We still have some things we have to collect."

"And we'll be happy to give you those things," Vincent stepped forward. "Why don't you give us a ring during the office hours so that we can make an appointment."

"Come on, Vincent," Aleister huffed. "Don't get all official on me. We used to come here all the time. We still have a key, see," the blonde waved a keychain at him.

"Yes, about that," the older male reached out and plucked the keys out of his hands. "Those privileges are only extended to artists who work with this studio," he turned on his heels and looked Sebastian up and down. "Here," he handed it to raven haired male.

"Are you serious? Where are we supposed to record then?" Aleister screamed, his eyes wide in disbelief. "Come on, Vincent. I'm sure we can work something out."

"No, we really can't," Vincent crossed his arms and pinched his lips. "You should've thought about all of this before you decided to sleep with my son's late… friend," his eyes briefly darted to William. "Frankly, it is not my problem anymore where you record, as long as you don't do it here. If you excuse us, we have an album to record."

Aleister tilted his chin. "Well… what if we don't feel inclined to leave?"

Vincent nodded to a security guard. "Then you'll be escorted out," he circled to his family and ignored the curses and threats of Aleister as he was dragged out, a head shaking William following him.

The manager took the three new band members of his son in before his eyes locked with the blue one of his son. "Are you sure about these three?"

"Dad, I don't think my plan could work without these guys, especially," his eye turned to Sebastian and his face broke into a smile. "Especially not without Sebastian Michaelis, former front man of the band Black Butler."

Vincent nodded, straightened his jacket and cleared his throat. "Splendid. Let's do this then. Follow me please."

* * *

Claude and Alois walked up with Vincent while he talked to them about the studio. Ciel glanced sideways at his mother who stood as if frozen by his side, looking Sebastian up and down.

"You two did something together, didn't you?" She fished like a nosey nellie with a wide grin on her lips.

"Mom!" Ciel exclaimed, making both his mother and Sebastian chortle.

"No worries baby, mommy already knows you don't fly the conventional way. Ugh, whatever you saw in that William is beyond me… he was so irksome. This one is much more, delicious," she growled, licking her lips.

"Thank you, Misses Phantomhive."

"Oh please, honey," she leaped forward and hooked an arm through Sebastian's. "Call me Rachel, Misses or Ma'am makes me sound so old and dusty. Oh my Lord, you have such muscular arms," she cooed, squeezing Sebastian's biceps.

"You are old and dusty, mom," Ciel retorted. "Not to mention very much married to my father, so stop chatting him up. Could you give us a moment alone, please."

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Sure thing sweetness," she shot Sebastian a wink and walked to her son. "No hanky panky in the hallway, alright dear. You can use the restroom for that."

"Mother!"

She raised her hands in defense before leaning into her son. "If you're considering an affair with one of your band members again, I suggest you take him. He's absolutely gorgeous and I wouldn't mind sitting across from him at the Christmas table."

"If it ever were to come that far, I assume he's the only available one, since Claude and Alois are _life partners_," he emphasized the last word, using his fingers as quotation marks.

"I'll leave you two to it. Don't take too long," Rachel's eyes glanced Sebastian up and down once more. "Although I'm pretty sure you'll come fast enough with those bedroom eyes checking you out."

Ciel moaned tortured and rolled his eyes to the ceiling while Sebastian chortled at Rachel's frankness.

"Don't wear him out… his body and condition haven't been the same since he had that accident."

"Yes mom, thanks for embarrassing me even further in front of Sebastian Michaelis. Save some of it for the Christmas table, ok?" Ciel pushed his mother into the recording studio and closed the door.

"I like her. She's got grit and is honest," Sebastian said, stuffing his hands in his pocket while he leaned against the wall. "Besides that, she seems to support your sexual preferences."

"Yes, she should be crowned Queen of the gay loving people at some rainbow parade," Ciel quipped annoyed while he leaned against a cupboard and checked Sebastian out.

"You know… for a moment there I thought you weren't going to show," Ciel told him.

Sebastian chuckled and pinched his lips. "Well, to be honest, I thought about it for a moment. I asked myself why I would rather want to be in a band with an arrogant little brat like yourself than continue with Black Butler… then Alois walked in, nattering about some space cake Claude took from him and wouldn't give back. That's when I realized, I already had an arrogant, whining bitch in my previous band and since I lived through that as well, I figured you couldn't be that bad."

Ciel twitched and shook his head with a chuckle after. "Touché. I think I deserved that."

"Oh no, you deserve much worse," Sebastian slowly walked up to him. The deep v neck of his white t shirt showed the toned muscles of his torso. With the sleeves of his checked shirt rolled up, Ciel saw a tattoo of a guitar that ran across the underside of his right arm. It made pleasant shivers run up and down the navy haired student's back.

"Do I?" Ciel licked his lips when swallowed a growl when the raven haired senior closed in. Standing toe to toe, Sebastian bend down and placed his lips against Ciel's ear.

"You do… I'm sure I'll think of something soon. Something you don't expect."

Ciel sucked air through his teeth and leaned forward to inhale the musk undertone of Sebastian's cologne. It was the same as it had been the last time he saw the raven haired celebrity and it also had the same effect on him. It aroused him immensely.

"Let's go make some music," Ciel felt the vibrations of his lips while Sebastian slowly dragged them from his ear and over his cheek until they were aligned with Ciel's trembling ones. "We have to get that album out as soon as possible, right?" He told him before engulfing his lips in a leisurely kiss.

"If you two are done?" Sebastian abruptly broke the kiss and lifted his head to the voice. Claude leaned against the door frame, an eyebrow raised at the pair. "We need to start brain storming, so put your dicks back and get in here."

"We'll be there, asshole," Sebastian snarled, something diabolic flickering through his eyes.

"Whatever," Claude turned on his heels. "Make it quick."

"Is he always pushing everybody around like that?" Ciel asked in a low whisper. The older male chuckled and caressed his cheek with the back of his hand.

"He used to be our manager. He took care of all the business stuff, which included kicking our asses into the studio and making sure we got an album out in time."

Ciel perched his lips and nodded. "Impressive. Let's keep him satisfied then," he placed a quick peck on Sebastian's lips, whipped around and took a sprint to the door.

"Oh. You're still here," Ciel flashed Claude an innocent smile. "Let's make this happen, ok?"

Claude's stoic composure and arched eyebrow slightly intimidated Ciel. He pointed down the corridor and cleared his throat. "Yes… I'll be down there," he spoke awkwardly, his voice less cheerful while he walked on.

Claude halted Sebastian and waited until the navy haired male had disappeared into the recording studio.

"What?" Sebastian mashed his brows together at the serious frown on his friend's face.

"Do you think it's wise to start something with that kid? Is that the fucking reason we were hired to join his band?"

Sebastian's pupils dilated for a moment before he threw his head in his neck and laughed. "Are you fucking listening to yourself? Do you honestly believe that kid hired us because he has a thing for me? Or because we're fucking? You've got be joking!"

"It's not that uncommon." Claude retorted in a stern tone of voice.

"No, it's not," Sebastian crossed his arms and tilted his head. "If I recall correctly, we used to date when we first started out with the band. And when Alois joined, you jumped him like a horny slut. I didn't bitch about that either. I didn't give fuck to be honest. What we had was purely sexual."

"Oh, so that tension between you two just now, was purely sexual? Please, you can't be that dense."

"I suppose," Sebastian declared, disinterest in his entire demeanor. Claude shook his head and combed his digits through his hair.

"I don't know if you saw the look in his eye, but that was more than sexual tension. Be careful with how you treat this kid, Michaelis. He looks up to you, don't ruin that admiration for some casual sex."

"I'll think about it," Sebastian declared, his voice low while he narrowed his eyes at his friend. "Can we get on with the album talk?"

Claude nodded and gave his friend a hard pat on the shoulder. "Let's do this. Let's get us back to that glorious top again."

* * *

"You have a lot of fascinating equipment here," Alois let his fingers gliding over the black and white keys of the piano before turning to Ciel and leaning on the black wing. His eyes darted through the small studio. "Real nice place… we didn't have shit like this when we started out."

"What can I say?" Ciel shrugged. "Having parents who can help you get started has its benefits."

"It sure does," Alois concluded, sticking his hand in one of the pocket of his tangerine sports jacket. "Mind if I smoke?" He held up a joint.

"You know what, actually I do," Ciel began. "We're supposed to work on the album preparations and it would be best if you could fully focus."

"Oh Bambi," Alois chuckled, placing the stick loosely between his lips. "This is what helps me focus. Without this, my muse leaves me entirely and we wouldn't want that, do we?"

"Bambi?" Ciel frowned his brows. "Did you just seriously call me Bambi?"

"Mhmm… because you kind of look like a tiny deer, caught in the headlights of a car," Alois explained, patting his pockets in search of a lighter. "It's really cute... you're really cute acutally. I can see why Michaelis takes a fancy to you."

"Not today," Sebastian walked by and yanked the joint out of Alois's mouth. "We need to focus so stop talking gibberish."

"Ah, c'mon princess. You know I need that to be at my best," the blonde reasoned.

"No, what you need is to see a therapist who can refer you to a clinic to get clean," Sebastian declared stern. "We have been going over this for the past week. No more smoking during band sessions."

"Claude," Alois whined in a bitching voice. "He took away my stuff," he pouted, stomping his foot.

"Hand it over, Michaelis," Claude unrolled his hand at him. Alois smirked victorious when Sebastian handed the stick to his boyfriend.

"What the fuck are you doing!" Alois exclaimed when Claude broke the joint in half and threw it in the trashcan. "That was my fucking last one, you dickhead!"

"Good, this way you can really pay full attention to what we're going to discuss," Claude retorted while sitting down on one of the stools. "So," he clasped his hands together and tilted his head to Ciel. "Do you mind if we clear some things up first?"

Ciel gave Sebastian a suspicious look. The raven haired male just nodded with an encouraging smile.

"Not at all, I suppose," the navy haired male sank down on the stool opposite Claude.

"Great. Now, to get this out of the way. Why were you so desperate to get a new band in such a short period of time."

"You didn't tell them?" Ciel glanced sideways at Sebastian. The latter pushed a hand through his hair while shaking his head.

"No. I figured that since you know all the ins and outs of this gig, you'd best tell them."

The navy haired male nodded. "Makes sense. Well," he turned his attention to Claude again. "I needed a band because I want to compete in a country music competition."

"Alright. When is this competition?"

Ciel pinched his lips and stared at his senior's shoes. "In a month," he whispered, closing his eye while awaiting an inevitable outburst of either Claude, Sebastian or Alois. When it didn't come, he slowly cracked it open and gazed at the blonde and raven haired male that sat opposite him.

Claude exchanged a look with Alois and nodded. "Not entirely convenient, but manageable. We should be able to make it happen. We perform best under high pressure. Not that we had much of a choice while working with Michaelis over there," he nodded to his friend that sat next to Ciel.

"What do you mean?" The navy haired male turned his head to his senior next to him. Sebastian just grinned while Claude continued.

"Our second album was written and recorded in a weeks' time. Two weeks before we were supposed to release it, he hadn't written one song yet. Not one, on a sixteen track album. He was too busy playing the Rock star."

"Image is important too," Sebastian shrugged it off, nonchalance in the entire gesture. "And I was actually playing that game Rock star, you know... with that fake guitar. It's amazing... I felt a little like Keith Richards."

Claude ignored him and focused his attention on Ciel again. "How about you kid, do you already have any thoughts on this album we're supposed to record?"

"Uh, yes…" Ciel stood and walked to the piano. "I want to make it a sixteen track album as well."

"Ambitious," Alois quipped annoyed, slumping on his stool while he mourned over his lost joint.

"Shut up and stop being a little bitch. You can have a joint when we get back home, now, we need to focus," Claude reminded his boyfriend while he took the papers Ciel handed him.

"I already wrote twelve of the songs and I have worked on some melodies as well, just to get an idea and a feel for the songs."

"Very good," Claude mused, thumbing through the music sheets. His golden eyes locked with Sebastian's over the rim of the pages. "Before you let us hear some, we need to take care of one last and most important thing," he leaned forward and handed the papers to Sebastian.

"Which is?" Ciel slowly sank down on the piano bench.

"We need to come up with a name for the band and we need to do that fast. With a name, you're father can give a press conference and by getting it out there, your fans have something to look forward to and radio stations will be much inclined to play the new records we made."

"You're right," Ciel turned to Sebastian and pointed at Claude with his thumb. "He is good."

"Told you," Sebastian grinned, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back against the wall. "Why don't you come up with some brilliant name, Claude, while Alois, Bambi and I go through some of these songs."

"No need. I already figured this one out. I think we should call it the Funtom Company."

Ciel twitched at Claude while Alois tumbled back with laughter, grasping his stomach and kicking his feet in the air while he made fun of the name. Sebastian let the name roll around in his mouth to get a taste of it.

"Why would we call it the Funtom Company?" Ciel asked while he somewhat chortled awkwardly at the wildly laughing Alois.

"What is the name of this studio?"

"The Funtom Company."

"Exactly. Since your company has already gathered fame, why not use that?" Claude declared.

"That is genius," Ciel gasped impressed.

"I know," Claude retorted casually, peering at the blonde that stopped laughing and hoisted himself up with help from the stool. "I didn't become the manager of Black Butler because of my good looks."

"No, but they did help," Alois purred, throwing his arms around Claude's neck and nuzzling the skin of his throat with his nose. "My prince is somewhat of a genius."

"Shut up, Alois. You were just ridiculing the entire idea."

"That's because I need to learn, sweetheart. Are you going to punish me for being a bad boy?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes while the two bickered on, Alois trying to get into Claude's pants and the latter telling him to keep his dick zipped until they got home.

"Hello boys," Rachel opened the door and popped her head around the corner. "How are we all doing here?"

"Fine, Misses Phantomhive," Claude told her while peeling Alois off him. Standing, he straightened his shirt and glasses. "I think I should have a word with the manager about our next steps."

Sebastian nodded, silently agreeing. "We'll stay here and work on some of the lyrics and tunes."

"Oh…" Rachel fully opened the door, holding a steaming baking tin in her right hand. "I thought you boys might want a break. I made peach cobbler."

"Mom… we just got started. The pie can wait until…"

"I want cobbler!" Alois chirped, standing and almost dancing over to Rachel. He bend down and inhaled the sweet scent. "Delicious," he sighed. "Do you have something to drink with that?"

"Of course, sweetheart. I've got some milk in the kitchen."

"Awesome!" Alois skipped after Rachel, leaving Sebastian and Ciel behind on their own.

* * *

"Stupid woman with her pies," Ciel cursed through gnashed teeth. Sebastian chortled and gave him one harsh pat on the back, jerking the younger male's torso forward by the force.

"I think it's her own way of trying to help you out, kid. It must've been rough on her too, to see her son go through something as shitty as this."

"Perhaps," Ciel admitted, slowly turning to look Sebastian in the eye. A smirk grew on his lips and he leaned in. "You know… we are alone now. We can finish what we started in the hallway."

Sebastian was so tempted to kiss the puckered and moist lips. He only had to confirm one thing to settle his mind and that of his friend.

"Look, kid. About this thing…"

Ciel's eye opened and locked with the crimson ones of the raven haired male as Sebastian dragged a hand through his locks while he cracked his brain, trying to find the right words. He himself wasn't even entirely sure what he wanted with the kid, just something casual or something more.

"Yes," the navy haired male pushed. Sebastian harshly cleared his throat and combed his digits through his locks again, something he seemed to do when he was nervous.

"About what happened in the bar… and in the hallway just now." His fingers dug into the raven bangs again. "I'm not sure if I want something… real… you know what I mean?"

At first, Ciel felt a pang in his chest. It ensnared his heart and seemed to squeeze the air out of his lungs. After a moment of staring speechlessly at the handsome male, he decided that he'd rather have his body than nothing at all.

"It's ok," Ciel shrugged, sitting back and tilting his head with an arrogant smirk. "You don't have to be afraid that I want to be in a relationship or something," he let out a forced laugh. "Hell no… I just got out of one, I'm not ready to dive straight into another."

Sebastian laughed awkwardly and nodded. He felt something snap inside his chest but chose to ignore it. "Of course you're not… so… we're cool?"

Ciel nodded, leaned over again and cupped Sebastian's chin. "We're very cool. Give me one good kiss before we start making some magic."

The older male smirked, bend down and crashed his lips on the swollen ones of the younger male, making him moan when he skillfully brushed his tongue against his.

"Oeh… are we kissing? Can I join?"

Sebastian and Ciel momentarily ignored the gleeful voice while their tongues succumbed to each other and caused sloppy smacking sounds around the silent recording room. Pulling back, Ciel briefly pressed his lips on Sebastian's again, sucking the latter's bottom lip between his and biting it teasingly before sitting back and snapping his head to the door.

"Your mother makes a mean cobbler. I think it's the best I ever had," Alois twittered, pointing his fork at the enormous piece of pie in his hands. He yelped and jumped when Claude pushed past him. His golden eyes studied the flustered face of Ciel and the grin of Sebastian. He shook his head and turned to his boyfriend.

"Munch that thing down fast and get over here. We have to get started."

"Aye, Sir," Alois saluted him sarcastically before he started hovering down the pie.

"You're father is preparing a press conference as we speak. I suggest we start going through those songs you already wrote. How many music sheets do you have?"

Ciel stood, walked to a cupboard and unlocked it with a key that hung from a necklace around his neck. He handed each of them a pile of sheets. Claude nodded satisfied and walked to the bass to plug it in. Alois licked his fingers, wiped them at his pants and set his plate down before taking his place behind the drums.

Ciel picked up his guitar from its standard and turned around. With Sebastian sitting behind the piano, it was almost like he was going to get a private concert of the late Black Butler.

"Stop daydreaming and plug your guitar in, Phantomhive. We've got a lot of work to do."

Ciel nodded with a grin, plugged in and turned on the amplifier. After Alois had counted down, he inhaled deep and stroke the first accord.

* * *

Review my dears. Even if it's smut-less. There will be more smut, but I actually enjoy the interaction between the four of them a whole lot more than the smut. For once, I am actually really proud of the storyline.

Well, anyways, review my sweets, and your reward shall be grand-ish.

Thanks for reading. Period!


	5. Act 07

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

It has actually been quite some time... eight days, which is long on my account. To be honest, the last couple of days have been really hard on me and I find that I'm slightly losing real control of my emotions.

Oh well, shit happens, but I won't bore you with that. Break up's happen, but you're supposed to get over them someday.

On to something much more important. Thank you all for the love and support! I'm still in awe of all the kind words and besides motivating me, they are inspirational and the boost (read: kick) I need to continue writing! So, thank you!

Enjoy!

O.

* * *

"As manager of my son, I would like to confirm that after today's auditions, my son has formed a new band. His new front man is Sebastian Michaelis, front man of the late band Black Butler. Also, the drummer and bassists of this former band have joined and the four of them now form the new band, the Funtom Company. As we speak, they are working on recording a new album. That was all, thank you. Are there any questions?"

Sebastian turned the television off and placed the remote on the kitchen table.

"Your father is very charismatic man," Alois told Ciel while he twirled his oreo and detached the two parts. "And he's very handsome not to mention. Looks a lot like you," the blonde winked at the navy haired male before licking the white filling off the cookie and dipping it in his milk.

"Thanks… I guess," Ciel's voice hesitant while he watched the blonde from the corner of his eye.

"Why aren't you eating your cookies, baby," Rachel covered Ciel's hand with her own and squeezed it. "They're your favorite. Aren't you feeling well?" She reached up and tried to feel his forehead.

"Mom," he pushed her arm down, his cheeks just a little flushed. "Stop mothering me."

"I think he's just a bit anxious about the press conference, Misses Phantomhive…"

"Rachel," she reminded Sebastian with a wide smile.

"…Rachel," he corrected himself.

"I guess you're right," Rachel ran a hand through her son's navy locks. "He really can't handle waiting. He has always been like this since he was a child. Anxious, impatient. He once got stuck underneath our bed because he was looking for Christmas presents."

"THAT'S really enough mom," Ciel laughed awkwardly and stood. "Let's just get back to the studio before she starts recalling memories and shows you my baby pictures."

"Oeh!" Alois squealed. "I'd love to see those. I bet he was a very handsome baby. Most infants are ugly and bald but I'm sure he was the cutest thing anyone ever saw."

"Yes, that was the cue I was waiting for. I think we really should leave before Alois pulls out his collection of ugly baby pictures," Sebastian pushed himself up. "I have seen those one too many times and it was not pretty," he rolled up his sleeves a little further and gave Ciel a good view of his muscular and tattooed underarm.

"Agreed," Claude followed him out.

Rachel leaned into the blonde and told him they'd watch baby photos soon. Ciel just rolled his eye but kept from protesting. He knew full well that he couldn't stop his mother even if he tried. He stood, stared daggers at the sniggering pair before he followed the two raven haired males to the studio.

* * *

Stepping into the room, Ciel found his mind overflowing with sinful images as he watched Sebastian, sitting at the black wing. His long and slender piano fingers caressed the black and white keys lovingly and he hummed along, throwing some casual words of the lyrics they had been practicing in between hums.

Sebastian looked up and when he saw the younger male stand in the doorway, he offered him a wide smile.

"What are you looking at?"

Ciel made a quick survey of the room.

"Where's Claude?"

"Got a call. I think it was your dad. He's in the hallway," Sebastian narrowed his eyes at the excited light in the younger male's blue eye. "Why?"

Ciel subtly pushed the door with his foot, stepped forward and sat down next to the older male.

"I was looking at you," he admitted with a sly grin, staring in Sebastian's crimson eyes.

Sebastian's pupils dilated a little when he felt Ciel's digits drag over the fabric of his jeans, up his leg. He could feel the heat radiate off the younger male and it made the air around them almost tangible and clammy. He inhaled and breathed out a sharp breath, the slight hint of a moan also crossing his lips as the digits now rubbed slow and teasing circles on his inner thigh.

"We shouldn't do that here. Claude and Alois can walk in at any moment," he hissed through his teeth, his orbs darting to the door.

As Sebastian's anxiety grew, so did Ciel's grin. He loved to control the handsome rock star. He maneuvered his fingers and made the older male shudder when the tips brushed gently over the growing bulge in his pants. His blue eye seemed to dare Sebastian to make a move.

"Ciel, please… let's keep everything that happens here professional," Sebastian tried to reason with him.

"It's really hard to be professional when you're you and I am me and I know how damned good you are at sucking my cock."

Sebastian inhaled deep and sucked on his bottom lip. "Fuck! You're making me horny."

"That is the point, Sebastian," Ciel purred in his ear, his eye drooping to follow the activities of his hand. He bit his bottom lip, a low growl rising in the back of his throat while he teasingly squeezed Sebastian's stiff dick through his jeans.

"Let me have a closer look," Ciel murmured, skillfully unbuttoning the buttons on Sebastian's pants.

"Ciel… stop fucking around. Claude will have a major fit when he walks in on us, acting like we are doing right now," Sebastian warned, semi pleaded. The younger male only took more pleasure in his little game and gazed up at him from below.

"You're hard, baby. If I don't do something about this, your balls will turn blue and I guess you and I both know how uncomfortable that is."

"It's your fucking fault that I'm having a boner. If you would've just kept your tiny claws to yourself like I asked you to," Sebastian hissed through gnashed teeth. After, he threw his head in his neck and rolled his eyes to the ceiling while Ciel ran the warm palm of his hand over the black boxers.

"No need to get frustrated," Ciel chuckled. "I know it's my fault, so let me do something about it," he slipped off the bench, barely fitting between the instrument and the furniture.

"Spread your legs," he commanded.

Sebastian dropped his chin to his chest and looked straight into his blue eye. "Ciel… please…"

"This is not up for discussion, unless you're comfortable with a painful sack."

The older male briefly weighed his options, caved in, pushed the bench back and parted his legs obediently.

"Good boy," Ciel teased, propping up on his knees and positioning himself between Sebastian's now open legs. He hooked a finger behind the band of the black underwear and pulled it down, sighing at the glorious sight of the thick, precum leaking glans.

"You're enormous, aren't you?" Ciel's voice taunting while he rolled his eye up to meet Sebastian's crimson ones.

"Just shut the fuck up and suck me. We need to get this over with before Claude walks in. I don't feel like listening to one of his hypocrite moral speeches about his policy of not fucking your co-band members."

Ciel chortled. "He's one to speak. Doesn't he live with Alois?"

"Yes… but they are 'life partners'," Sebastian emphasized, using his fingers to make quotation marks in the air. "It actually translates to a fuck-free pass," he quipped sarcastically.

"Don't worry about that right now," Ciel calmed him down, slowly dragging the boxer down a little further. It seemed like there was no end to the length of Sebastian's shaft, fanning more arousal in the younger male's chest. He licked his lips and groaned in desire when he finally came to the base of the thick cock.

"Are you a ten inch?"

"I never bothered to measure it," Sebastian tipped his head back, an arrogant smirk curling his lips. "You're not going to back out, are you?"

Ciel answered by leaning in and engulfing the head of the dick, swirling his tongue around it. A low and animalistic groan welled up in Sebastian's chest when the lips let go with a pop and he saw the wet muscle lap at his slit.

"You like it like this?" Ciel pressed his thumb against the frenulum and swallowed the glans again, his eye not leaving the lidded crimson ones of the panting Sebastian.

"Fuck… you suck good cock," Sebastian growled, knotted his longs fingers in the navy locks. "The way you look at me makes me want to fuck you against this piano, over and over."

Ciel bobbed his head up, tilting it back with a grin. "What are you waiting for? Take your fucking best shot and fuck me hard."

"You couldn't take it," Sebastian murmured, grabbing Ciel's hair at the base of his neck and by jerking his head back a little further, he took control of the situation. He bent down and brushed his lips over the swollen ones of the younger male. "I bet your tight little ass isn't stretched enough. That uptight dickhead didn't look like he had a big and fat cock like mine."

Ciel stretched out his neck and gently bit Sebastian's bottom lip, sucking it between his own after. "You have no fucking idea what I'm capable of handling," he told him in a seductive tone of voice.

"Is that an invitation, Bambi?"

"I thought that was obvious. Or do you want it in writing?"

"Well, I for one would've loved one."

Both men turned to the cheerful voice that suddenly cut through the thick air and put an abrupt end to the sexual tension in the room. Alois stood in the doorway, his palm high on the doorframe.

"What the fuck, Alois!" Sebastian snapped, not bothering to cover up his rigid cock. "Ever heard of knocking?"

"How the hell was I supposed to know Bambi here was going down on you?" Alois clacked his tongue. "Oeh… Claude is going to be so mad at you," he hummed, stepping forward.

"Just… get the hell out of here and give us a fucking minute," Ciel snarled, his eye following the blonde as he walked to a comfortable couch on the opposite side of the room.

"Nah, I'm good," Alois flopped down and put his hands behind his head. "I always enjoy a good show, so do continue."

"Not with you in the fucking room we're not," the navy haired male retorted, making an attempt to stand up. Sebastian put a hand on his shoulder and kept him down on his knees.

"At this moment, I wouldn't even care if your entire family was here to watch. I need to cum, now," he insisted, placing his hand behind Ciel's head and pushing him down to his groin.

Alois sucked air through his teeth. "Feisty, Sebastian. Not a side I'm used to see and I love it," he reached into the left pocket of his sports jacket and placed the joint he retrieved from it loosely between his lips.

Ciel ignored the fact that they had an audience and eagerly attacked the cock again, dragging his tongue across the shaft and engulfed the erection after.

When Sebastian got a whiff of the smoke, he cocked his head to the side, his lidded eyes studying the grinning Alois.

"I thought Claude threw away your last?"

The blonde shook his head and waved it away. "C'mon, Sebastian, you know me. If I hadn't told him that, he would've searched through my pockets and would've found this baby," he inhaled deep and lazily blew the thick smoke out.

"After years of being with you, I would've expected better from Claude… fuck! That's it," he dropped his chin to his chest and watched Ciel bob up and down his dick.

Alois chuckled, sucking at the butt of his joint while he watched Ciel drive Sebastian insane. "He's an eager little sucker, isn't he? I wish Claude would once again invade my pants like the allies did Germany."

"Shut up! I can't focus while you talk bogus," Sebastian snapped, combing his fingers through Ciel's navy locks, whispering encouragements and rolling his hips into the rhythm of Ciel's sucking mouth.

"Shit… fuck… I'm going to come," Sebastian hissed through gritted teeth. Alois cocked an eyebrow at the two, his mind already too hazy to think of a snappy one liner to screw up the moment. He did not need to because when Sebastian exploded into Ciel's mouth, shooting his load deep into the younger male's throat, Claude walked in.

Meeting the golden eyes that stared bored at the scene, Sebastian threw his head back to avoic Claude's gaze. He didn't want the stoic male to ruin his high and he groaned loud while he slowly pumped his dick into Ciel's mouth, riding out his orgasm.

Claude refrained from any comment, his eyes shooting from the pair to his blonde partner that was leisurely sucking at the butt of his joint.

"What's up, baby," Alois murmured, lazily raising his hand and waving at Claude. The latter just shook his head in disapproval and turned his attention back to the piano bench and the two sinners that had tainted it.

Sebastian combed his hand through Ciel's locks one last time, grabbed a fistful at the base of the neck and jerked the younger male's head back hard.

"Thanks, baby," he murmured before hungrily attacking his mouth, tongues crashing together in an attempt to get a taste of his cum mixed with Ciel's saliva.

* * *

Claude checked his watch and decided to give them thirty seconds. After those ended, he asked them if they were quite finished, his tone of voice betraying his irritation.

Sebastian pulled back, leaned in one last time to give Ciel a chaste kiss, capturing the younger male's bottom lip between his own before he sat up and grinned completely satisfied at the annoyed Claude.

"Now we are," he told him, stuffing his dick back into his boxers and buttoning his jeans. "Shall we continue with the rehearsal?"

Claude's eyes darted to his blonde partner. Alois was humming peacefully, a sheepish grin on his lips while the drug exercised its numbing effect.

"I think it's useless to continue now that he's baked," he pulled his phone from his jeans pocket and checked his agenda. "We'd best schedule a recording session first thing tomorrow. Vincent already arranged a photo shoot for the album cover on Monday and he's going to contact the radio stations that we will have our first single out on Wednesday."

"Overachiever much?" Sebastian joked and got to his feet. He reached out his hand and helped Ciel up. "I think it'll work, getting a song out by then."

"What you think is irrelevant here. We are going to have our first single out next Wednesday, so I suggest you keep your dicks in your pants from now on, especially during recording hours and you," he snapped a finger at Alois. "You stay away from the pot during that time. We need all our focus on getting it done."

"Sure, sure," Sebastian waved it away, rounded the bench and walked to Claude. "Which song are we going to record first?"

"Any suggestions? You have a good eye for it."

Sebastian rubbed his chin and rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "I would opt for a song that speaks to the female population since, ironically enough, over fifty percent of the fans of Black Butler and Collide were teenage girls. But, with this new band, I hope to attract an even wider audience and with that in mind, I think we should go for 'Anywhere'," Sebastian concluded.

Claude pinched his lips and nodded slowly. "And what is your reasoning behind that?"

"It's a perfect mixture between country and blues. Women will related because of the tragic love story and men because of the familiar struggle with finance and trying to become something more than you are."

"I can see that," Claude agreed. "What do you think, Ciel?"

The navy haired male thumbed through his lyric sheets and read the words of 'Anywhere'.

"What Sebastian just said makes sense, so I also agree with him," he spoke, his eyes briefly darting to Claude before gazing at Sebastian's back again.

"Alright. Discuss it with your dad and call me when you've reached a decision. I think we should call it a night, Alois is starting to hallucinate," Claude stared daggers at the blonde who was praising the bright and intense color of the white ceiling.

"Yes, let's do that," Sebastian pulled a set of keys from his pocket. "You grab him, I'll go start the car," he told Claude. After, he briefly turned to Ciel, flashed him a handsome smile and greeted him shortly before leaving the room.

* * *

For a few moments, Ciel was stunned by Sebastian's casual attitude. When the astonishment was over, he felt rage well up in his chest and he jogged after the older male. Following him out into the cool evening breeze, he called out his name.

Sebastian looked over his shoulder and slowed down his steps until Ciel caught up with him.

"Something wrong?" He unlocked the door of his car and opened it so that Claude could shove Alois into the backseat.

Ciel blinked at him. "Are you fucking serious?"

"Yes?" Sebastian cocked an eyebrow. "But judging by your tone of voice, I'm not supposed to?"

"What is up with this stupid attitude?" Ciel snapped.

"What stupid attitude? I told you I'd see you tomorrow, right? Are you ok, Ciel?"

The younger male inhaled deep, reminding himself that there was nothing but sex between them and that he had agreed with those terms. Exhaling, he nodded and drooped his eye to Sebastian's shoes. "I'm fine, I suppose. A simple _thank you_ would've been nice though."

Sebastian mashed his brows together. "O-k… thank you?"

Ciel snorted and shoved the older male. "Not like that, idiot."

"Then, what do you want me to do? Give you a life time achievement award or something?"

"Of course not," Ciel muttered bitter, angry with himself. He pushed his hands in his pockets and kicked a pebble. "You know what… forget I mention it."

Sebastian grunted, cupped Ciel's chin, tilted his head back and forced him to look him in the eye.

"If this is going to be a problem and you are going to act like a little diva every time we fool around… then perhaps it's best if we stop now and just act like professionals."

"No!" Ciel shook his head. "No… I'm fine. Consider it withdrawn. It's just," he forced himself to grin. "I sucked you real good and kept your balls from going blue. I expected a little more gratitude."

Sebastian rolled his eyes and chortled. "It was your fault I got a boner."

Ciel wiggled his eyebrows and surprised Sebastian by stepping closer and palming his dick through his pants. "Would you look at that… you get hard from the very sight of me."

"Don't get all smug, idiot," Sebastian growled, grabbing the younger male's hand and pulling it off his dick. "I don't dig arrogance."

"Mmm… then how do you look at yourself in the mirror every morning?" Ciel teased while he leaned in and grazed his lips over Sebastian's. "Because you my friend, are the embodiment of arrogance."

Sebastian grinned, feeling his dick jerk eagerly as the younger male's tongue flicked over his lips. Before he could kiss the swollen lips, Claude's voice calling for him to put the back of the chair down ruined the moment.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Sebastian told Ciel's lips before he stepped back, turned and pushed the back of his chair down. Claude easily shoved Alois into the backseat and rounded the car. Sebastian sank down in his seat to unlock the passengers' door.

"Sweet dreams," he winked at Ciel and closed his door.

Ciel placed his palm on the leather rooftop and bent down until his eyes leveled with Sebastian's.

"Oh, believe me... I will."

With Claude's golden eyes watching them closely, he resisted the urge to lean forward through the open window and press his lips against Sebastian's for a goodnight kiss. The look in his crimson eyes betrayed that the older male was struggling with the exact dilemma.

Sebastian started the engine and on Alois's request, he instantly turned up the volume on Sam Cooke.

"You might want to step back," Sebastian advised Ciel as he shifted to first gear. Before he could push his accelerator to the floor, he heard Rachel's voice call out to them.

Ciel turned and saw his mother run down the steps. Slightly out of breath, she halted next to her son and bent down.

"Glad that I caught you boys before you left," she panted, leaning on the door. "Are you all joining us for breakfast tomorrow?"

"Cobbler!" Alois squealed excitedly, throwing his arms in the air and staring amazed at the leather roof after, as if almost wondering how it got there or even how _he _himself got there.

Rachel giggled endearing. "No sweetheart, but I will be making my famous beignets and short cakes though. You're most welcome to join. Here's our home address," she handed Sebastian a neatly folded piece of paper.

Sebastian exchanged a quick look with Claude. With Alois nagging in the backseat, they could do nothing more but accept, gladly.

"Good," Rachel smiled and stood back. "We'll see ya'll in the morning," she wrapped an arm around her son. "Breakfast is at ten. Don't be late," she added as a friendly warning.

"We won't," Sebastian promised. "See you at ten."

Ciel and Rachel watched them take off. After the car turned the corner, Ciel circled to his mother.

"What's with the sudden invite?"

"Oh, I don't know," Rachel clasped her hands on her back. "Making sure you can spend more time with your new boyfriend," she admitted with a cheeky smile.

"Mom!" Ciel groaned, slapping a hand over his eyes. "Give it a rest already. Sebastian's not my new boyfriend so stop calling him that. Did you lock up the studio already?"

"I did… don't change the subject. You can keep denying all you want, but I know you Ciel Phantomhive," she followed her son to their Jeep. "You are smitten with Sebastian. You two look adorable together, all lovey-dovey."

"Shut up, mom," Ciel growled, pulling his keys from his pocket and pressing the unlock button.

"Denial," Rachel said in a sing-a-song voice as she rounded the car and got into the passengers' seat. "I can see the way you look at each other," she told him while buckling up.

"Yes, you should start a dating service," Ciel snorted, starting his engine and shifting gear. "You can call it Rachel-knows-it-all," his voice sarcastic while he backed out of the driveway.

Rachel wrinkled her nose at him. "Mock me all you want, but I know love at first sight when I see it. Sebastian and Ciel, sitting in a tree, f-u-c-k-i-n-g," she sang.

Trying to correct her would be fruitless, so Ciel just rolled his eyes, ignored her and turned up the volume of his radio.

* * *

Moments after they got to Sebastian's house, Claude started the morality speech Sebastian had been dreading to hear.

"I thought I had been quite clear that you shouldn't get involved with the boy. Nothing good will come from it," Claude told him while he threw a hysterically giggling Alois over his shoulder like a ragdoll and followed Sebastian up the porch. "He might end up falling in love with you and we all know the tragic endings of all your relationships. They crash and burn! This could ruin the career of our new band."

Sebastian opened the front door and switched the light in the hallway on.

"I suggest you take care of your own minor problem before you start counseling me," he nodded to a now passed out Alois. "You can have your hypocrisy lecture in the morning."

Claude narrowed his eyes at him.

"Fine," he finally agreed. "I will leave it for tonight. But, we will talk about it in the morning."

"Sure, sure," Sebastian waved it away and locked the door. "Go get some rest. It was a good rehearsal today."

"I know it was," Claude said. "I directed it," he added bluntly. "Goodnight," he walked up the stairs and disappeared into one of the guestrooms.

"Idiots," Sebastian muttered, sauntering into the living room. Bard was fast asleep on the couch, feet flopped down on the coffee table, television on the cooking channel and surrounded by empty beer cans. With his mouth hanging open, he snored loudly.

Sebastian sat down, snatched the remote out of the blonde's hands and harshly kicked his feet off the table. With one loud snore, Bard shot up and screamed I don't want to be a ballerina before he blinked surprised at his surroundings.

Sebastian arched an eyebrow at his friend. "Then don't be a ballerina, see if I care."

Bard snorted, muttered some incoherent words and tumbled backwards, his head on the back of the couch and his mouth hanging open again.

Sebastian ignored the snoring and switched to a porn channel. Ciel had once again left him with a throbbing boner and it frustrated Sebastian that the younger male wasn't around to suck him off.

Unbuttoning his pants, he pulled out his erection and started to jerk himself off. Closing his eyes, he imagined that the moans that came from the television were Ciel's, begging him to fuck him hard.

* * *

Dear, dear Rachel... haha, I can really imagine her as a Southern mom, baking man-eating beignets.

I will update TCM soon, inspiration still has to strick me yet, but I'm sure it will soon enough. You all know what I need to be motivated and inspired :D (almost sounds like I'm begging for reviews)

But seriously, reviews would be extremely lovely!

Thank you for reading. Period!


	6. Act 11

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

This is a long chapter and it is filled with sex. Oh, how I adore all of you for the reviews and support. Take this as a token of my appreciation. See, you all do something for me and I give back, with smut filled chapters haha.

There is nothing left for me to say, and I hope you'll find it as exhilarating as I did.

Enjoy!

O.

_P.S.; Spelling check will follow, sometime tomorrow. Now I need some wine and a The Good Wife/Scrubs marathon._

* * *

Bard cracked one tired eye open when the persistent sound that had managed to penetrate his sex dream about Hannah, kept increasing in volume. Smacking his lips and wiping some drool off his chin, he straightened his head and blinked at his surroundings. He hissed at the continuing gay porn on the home cinema set and snatched the remote from beside his sleeping friend. He quickly switched to the cooking channel and hunched over. He ran a hand through his hair and let it linger in the back of his neck while he slowly started to feel the throbbing pain that was the aftermath of having three six packs of beer.

Somewhere, muffled and dull, he heard that noise again. He perked up his head and started to poke around the couch. While in his dream, it had been the sound of the vibrator Hannah used on herself, he was now pretty damn sure it was a mobile phone. Tearing cushions aside, he got more frustrated while the monotonous sound dragged on and the throbbing of his head increased. He need a fucking drink, but he first had to locate the source of his disturbance.

Sebastian moaned in his sleep and it wasn't just any moan. It was a sex moan and it drowned out the creaking and moaning he heard from the upstairs bedroom. Realizing he was surrounded by homos, his drunken mind started to calculate the different doom scenarios that might occur in such a peculiar situation. He was outnumbered, and if he knew one thing about Alois Trancy, it was that in moments time, he would come down to get a drink and the blonde would get chatty with him. He hated it when Alois shared his sex rampage details with him, it made him temporarily incompetent.

Now lethally frustrated and disgusted, Bard grabbed a cushion and whacked Sebastian in the face with it.

Sebastian shot up, his eyes cracked wide open. "Shit mother fucking loathing son of a…"

"Good, you're up."

His crimson eyes adjusted to the brightness of the television and he blinked surprised at it. There were no signs that Mister T and the chatty Australian chef were going to get frisky anytime soon, so he could only assume Bard switched channels again. He cocked his head to the right.

"What the hell, asshole? I was watching that!"

Bard sat back for a moment, narrowing his eyes. "Charming. Do you always wake up like that?" Without looking, he nodded to his friend's pants.

Sebastian's eyes drooped down and a wide smirk curled his lips when he saw his perfect pink dick, sweetly cradled by his palm and embraced by his long fingers, his black painted nails in sharp contrast to his perfectly colored cock.

"Get off your homophobia already," Sebastian retorted. "It could've been worse. You could've woken up with my hand wrapped around _your _dick."

Bard's blue eyes shifted from disgusted to suspicious in seconds. "Dirty perv! Did you do something to me while I was sleeping?"

Sebastian's eyes slowly sunk down his friends muscular frame. "Maybe I did or maybe I didn't… who's to tell?" His crimson orbs now focused on the worn jeans. "Oh dear me, how terribly clumsy of me. I think I skipped one of the buttons when I buttoned up your jeans again."

All the blood disappeared from Bard's cheeks and his hand instantly groped his groin. He fingered the buttons and when he realized they were all buttoned up, he snapped his head up to meet his friend's amused grin.

"You fucking jerk!"

"Come on, Bard," Sebastian gently pulled his boxers over his exposed erection, not bothering to button up his pants and flopped his feet down on the coffee table. "You know I wouldn't touch your untrimmed dick with a stick. I bet it's a fucking jungle down there… not my thing. I like some order."

"Well, excuse me that I don't perm down there!" Bard snapped. "I'm not a fucking homo."

"Yes, I keep hearing you say that and yet, you know what a perm is. Sounds a bit counterintuitive to me," Sebastian teased, poking his friend.

Bard's cheek flushed and he tripped over his own words while he tried to accuse Sebastian of something. "I must've heard it from you," he snarled after several failing attempts of cornering his friend with witty comments.

"Nuhuh," Sebastian put his hands behind his head. "I never used that word. I hate perms. Those things are for poodles and suburban housewives from the 1950's. I would never come near a perming kit. Why tamper with perfection?"

Bard cocked an eyebrow at his friend. "You really are in love with yourself, aren't you?"

Sebastian perched his lips and thought about the words for a moment. "I'm very much in love with perfection and now that you have pointed out that I am perfect, thank you for that, I must concluded that I am _indeed_ very much in love with myself."

"I never said you were perfect! You're twisting my words to your own liking!" Bard cried out.

"Oh," Sebastian nudged his friend's chin. "No need to deny it Bard. A lot of heterosexual men are attracted to me. Just so you know, if I'm ever really desperate for sex, you'll be the first hetero I'll turn to."

Bard snorted at the teasing grin that curled his friend's perfect lips. Rolling his eyes, he faked a gag and pushed himself up. Wobbling on his feet, Sebastian reached out a hand to steady the blonde before he tumbled over.

"I'm going to grab another drink and head up before they're done fucking and Alois comes down to share all the putrid details," he pointed his thumb to the ceiling and even Sebastian wrinkled his nose when he heard Alois's mewls and pleas.

When he heard the cursed sound again, Bard jerked his head up. "There, you hear that too? Where is that damned phone?"

Sebastian reached back and fished the vibrating phone from his back pocket. He had eight missed calls, two texts, a video message and one photo message. He opened the photo message, his eyes widening in the slightest when he saw the picture of the erect penis.

"What is it?" Bard bent down and instantly backed away when he saw the image. "FUCK! Couldn't you have warned me? Who the fuck sends something like that?"

Sebastian grinned at his friend's reaction, even if he wasn't too pleased with this person sending him such pictures of himself. "I'm not sure, but I have a good hunch," he scrolled through his phone and read the messages.

"What kind of sick and twisted mind does something like that?" Bard went on, shuddering in his skin as the image of the dick kept popping up in his mind, as if burned on his permanent memory. Sebastian raised a finger that silently told him to shut up while he made the call.

"_At last! You called. I knew this would work…_"

Sebastian's lips twitched a little, something that resembled a smirk curling them. "Yes… I had no idea that the restraining order I filed against you was already expired."

"_Oh it isn't_," the voice chirped on the other side. "_I just assumed you would never file a restraining order against me…_"

Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed weary. "Grell, just so we have this clear. I _did_ file such an order against you and I _would and will_ do it again. Do you understand me?"

"But, Bassy…" His voice whined. Sebastian hung up before his stalker could continue. He gazed up at Bard from below. The blonde still looked like he was about to vomit over his hardwood floor.

"C'mon Bard. You saw Grell's dick before. Remember when he skulked around the mansion and accidentally flashed you, thinking it was me who came out of the front door."

The blonde shivered and grunted repulsed. "I do, and I'm still seeing a therapist for that."

Sebastian picked up the remote and switched through the channels. "No you're not. We all know you were seeing that therapist for your sex addiction but that you two are now only screwing around."

"We're not screwing around," Bard declared, crossing his arms.

"Ok, you, her and her assistant are screwing around."

The blonde grinned victorious and nodded. "Exactly, and don't you forget it."

"How could I? You sent me a film clip once. You didn't hear me bitching about it like a hetero-phobic," Sebastian retorted, settling with the gay porn channel again.

"Of course not, idiot. It was hot!" The blonde exclaimed, turning his back to the screen.

Sebastian snapped a finger up. "That is a matter of opinion. Hot is in the eye of the beholder."

Bard sneered and snatched Sebastian's pack of Lucky Strike's from the table. "Spare me the philosophic babble. I'm going to grab a drink… want something too?"

"Yeah," Sebastian pressed Grell away and contemplated whether to open the video message as well, fearing it might be a short film of the red head's ass. "Bring me a Corona."

His finger hovered above the open button for another second before he decided to just open it and have a quick peek, much like ripping off a Band-Aid. His jaw dropped and his eyes grew when he saw the one minute footage.

Bard returned from the kitchen, studying the profile of his astonished friend with suspicion.

"Don't tell me, another stark naked Marilyn Monroe imitation of Grell?" He put the bottle of beer down on the coffee table, right next to Sebastian's feet.

Sebastian slowly shook his head, his eyes shooting up to check the time the message was sent. It was nearly four hours ago, shortly after he got home.

"Fuck!" He exclaimed irritated, scrolling down to check the number. "Fuck, fuck, FUCK!"

"What?" Bard snapped, clueless why his friend was acting so irritated. "What the fuck is going on? What did that maniac do?"

Sebastian snarled at him to get the hell out while he pressed call. The blonde shook his head, muttered that his friend had gone insane and walked out.

* * *

Ciel was staring at his ceiling. He had done so since he got home nearly five hours ago. Still fully dressed, he had flopped down on the grey bedding of his comfortable double bed and had been staring up ever since, his hands behind his head.

Even after all the hours that already passed, he could still vaguely taste Sebastian's aroma. It lingered on his tongue and aroused him immensely, to the point that his erection throbbed painfully against the fabric of his acid washed slim jeans again, begging to be touched.

He reached for his nightstand, groped for his universal remote and turned his IPod speaker dock on. The seductive saxophone of Van Morrison's 'Moondance' soon bounced off the walls and cut through the thick sexual tension. Turning up the volume a little, he reached into his already unbuttoned jeans once more and squeezed his dick.

Hissing through gnashed teeth, he slowly rotated his hand down his shaft, his little finger briefly brushing over his sack before he moved his palm back up.

"_Fuck_…" He stroke the glans with two fingers, smearing the beads of precum that leaked from his slit over the pulsing head of his dick. A vague vibrating dragged him out of his concentration and he groped around his bedding with his free hand, the other still solidly around his rigid cock.

His grin grew and he gave himself another slow stroke while answering.

"_Finally. I thought you weren't going to call anymore_."

Sebastian's dick reacted wildly to the low and husky tone of Ciel's voice. It was filled with sex and sent all sorts of lustful images through his mind. He had to swallow before he could form coherent words.

"That was a very hot film fragment you sent me," he breathed in the receiver and sucked his bottom lip between his teeth when he heard Ciel moan on the other end.

"_I know it was… what took you so long to call and tell me that?_"

"That doesn't matter. I'm calling you now, aren't I? What are you doing?"

"_Jacking myself off… imagining it is your hand wrapped around my thick, throbbing cock._"

Sebastian sucked air through his teeth. "Fuck, Ciel… that is so horny."

"_You just called in time… I was almost going to come_."

"You can still come," Sebastian murmured, pushing his boxers down with his free hand and squeezing his growing erection. "I want to hear you cum."

"_Are you stroking that thick and large cock of yours?_" Ciel moaned hoarse.

"I am," Sebastian confirmed, his voice low, raspy and filled with sexual desire.

"_Tell me what you're doing. Give me an image to work with_."

"I'm rotating my hand down to the base, exercising slight pressure and moving it back up my shaft. Are you doing it too, baby?"

"_Yes_," Ciel gasped, his breaths becoming more shallow and desperate while he heard Sebastian's voice direct his movements through the phone.

"Now I'm squeezing the head, dragging my thumb down from the slit and pressing it against that bundle of nerves you teased with your warm tongue this afternoon."

"_Shit… Sebastian…_"

He heard the younger male grunt animalistic sounds and if he listened carefully, he could hear the pumping of Ciel's hand as the navy haired male jerked himself off.

"Tell when you're coming and tell me exactly what you're doing," Sebastian commanded, closing his fist around his dick and jacking himself off at a steady and rapid speed.

"_Shit… fuck… Sebas- ah… I'm going to cum,_" Ciel groaned through the receiver. "_I'm spreading my slit with my thumb and forefinger. It makes me spurt all over my face… fuck, Sebastian… talk to me…_"

"Oh fuck Ciel, what are you doing to me?" Sebastian jammed the IPhone between his ear and shoulder so that he could rub the precum that leaked from the head of his dick over the shaft, intensifying his pleasure. "You make me so fucking hot… just wait a little longer baby, so that I can come with you."

"_Ah… shit, Sebastian… I can't hold out much longer_." Sebastian heard him rasp through gritted teeth.

"Do you have your finger up your tight ass again, like on the video?"

He heard Ciel curse and grunt. The younger male moaned his name while he came on the other end. The cries and pleas pushed Sebastian over the edge and he groaned a throaty groan while he came, cum oozing from his slit and coating his hand.

Ciel's breath wheezed a little while he tried to even it out, his mind delirious with lust and mellow from the intensive orgasm he just had.

"_Fuck… hearing your gasping and panting makes me all hard again_," Sebastian heard him breath into the receiver. The older male chortled low, took the phone in his hand again and rested his head on the back of the couch.

"That was fucking amazing," he murmured low, licking his lips while he stared at the ceiling and basked in the afterglow of his intense orgasm.

"For fucks sake! Is sex all you ass-riders think about! You're a disgusted fucking pervert."

Sebastian turned his head to the right and saw Bard slither by in his boxers, his ears bright red and his figure shuddering with repulsion while he disappeared into the kitchen to get another drink. Sebastian just rolled his eyes and stared up at the ceiling again.

"_Who was that?_"

A soft chortle rose in Sebastian's chest at the hostile tone Ciel used.

"Do I detect a hint of jealous, baby?"

"_No… you can fuck whoever you want. We're not an item_," he tried to make it sound indifferent. "_Just sex, right?_" He added quickly to emphasize his previous statement.

Sebastian smiled, sat up and reached out his arm to grab his untouched beer. "That's right," he confirmed before taking a sip. "Just casual sex."

He heard Ciel swallow. "_Right… I should really hang up and try to get some sleep_."

The older male mashed his brows together, his beer hanging mid air. "I thought you were getting hard again?"

"_I was… but your friend ruined it with his bitching. Besides, it's late and I'm tired. See you in the morning_."

Lowering his phone, Sebastian blinked surprised at the dial tone. In the back of his head, he heard Claude's speech but he choose to ignore it.

"But what if…" He began, replaying the video. He heard the moans, and the tone of voice Ciel used to moan Sebastian's name.

"Nah, impossible," he concluded after the video ended. He pushed the phone in his pocket, took another sip of his beer while he wrapped his free hand around his erected penis again, cradling it lovingly while he watched some rancid gay porn.

Watching the male ménage a trois suddenly did little to nothing for him, but Sebastian refused to believe that it had anything to do with the one minute porn heaven of Ciel he had on his phone.

Ciel threw his IPhone to the end of his bed and turned on his side. He reached up and dug his fingertips into the soft head pillow. At this moment, he hated Sebastian. He hated him for making him act like a translucent and enamored teenager while he had to be mysterious and distant. The hate didn't last long when he admitted to himself that even if he loathed Sebastian, he was more disgusted by his own need to be around him.

"Stupid moron," he muttered, punching his pillow and curling up into a ball. "You fucking idiotic fool," he continued, narrowing his eye while he stared at the starry sky outside his glass balcony doors. Inhaling deep and exhaling a shaky breath, he commanded himself to forget about it and just go to sleep.

* * *

"Pumpkin… it's time to get up."

Ciel heard his mother open the doors of his balcony and shivered when the cool morning breeze blew his blue curtains into the room and brushed his skin. He moaned and rolled over onto his stomach.

"Why are you still dressed?"

Ciel cracked his eye open and saw his mother's yellow summer dress while she stood next to his bed. She had her hands in her sides no doubt, while she peered down on the creased and messed up clothes. The clothes she had ironed just the other day.

"Go away," Ciel flailed his leg in an attempt to kick her. Rachel sighed, bent down and startled her son by smacking him harsh on the ass.

"Ey!" Ciel shot up, leaning on his elbows while he stared daggers at his mother. Her blue eyes, the same brilliant color as his own, stared stern back at him. Even when she was trying to be educative, cheeky lights danced through her azure orbs.

"Come on, get up," she rounded the bed and easily pulled the bedding off him. "It's a gorgeous sunny day and the boys will be here in half an hour," she walked out onto the balcony to air the sheets.

"Half an hour? Mother!" Ciel jolted off his bed and nearly tripped over his own feet while he ran to his adjacent bathroom. "Why didn't you wake me sooner?" He called, struggling to get yesterday's hoodie off.

"Calm down, babycakes. No need to worry or rush," she poked her head into the bathroom. "I already laid out the cutest outfit for you to wear," she snapped a finger to the bathroom furniture. "I'm sure those pants will make your ass look perky," she added with a wink.

"MOTHER!"

"What?" She stood in the doorway and perched her hands on her hips. "Is there something wrong with wanting my son to look handsome? I wanted a girl, but I had a son. Luckily, you turned out to be gay so I can still dress you in pretty clothes. Give me that at least."

"Luckily? Do you actually hear yourself talking?" Ciel unbuttoned and dropped his pants and boxers, not knowing any shame in front of his mother. He turned the shower on and circled to her, taking the same cocky pose as Rachel. "You know, mom. I think that dressing me up like a girl when I was younger somehow contributed to me ending up being gay."

Rachel chuckled and shrugged, nonchalance in the entire gesture. "Who can tell. Now, go get ready… If Sebastian happens to get in earlier, I'll send him up to join you."

Ciel snorted and closed the glass shower door. "You do that mom," he retorted. "Tell him I'll be waiting," he quipped sarcastically.

"We'll do, pumpkin!" Rachel chirped before racing around the room, picking up dirty clothes and straightening the scattered papers on his floor and desk. By the time she had a hamper full and remade his bed, she heard the doorbell ring. Not warning her son to hurry, she scurried out of the room.

"There here!" She called.

Vincent stopped at the bottom of the stairs. Rachel's cheeks were pink with excitement while she descended down the steps.

"Here," she pushed the straw hamper in her husband's hands. Vincent just shook his head and chuckled while his wife pinched her cheeks, straightened her dress and checked her updo bun in the floor length mirror.

"You know you're married, don't you?" He whispered in her ear.

Rachel looked at his reflection through the mirror. Handsome and tall, looking at her over her shoulder with curiosity and amusement. Dressed in a light blue dress shirt, khaki dress pants and brown leather loafers, Vincent looked still as exciting and mysterious like he had done the first time she met him.

Rachel turned and threw her arms around his neck. "I know that, silly," she giggled, standing on her tiptoes and rubbing her nose against his. "I love you a million blueberry cheesecakes."

Vincent chortled when his wife referred to the game they used to play when they were teenagers. He bent down and pressed a kiss on the tip of her nose.

"And I love you a million chocolate fudge cakes," he whispered endearing, pushing a lock of her strawberry blonde hair out of her eyes.

The bell rang again, this time a little more persistent. Rachel clapped her hands together and almost jumped up and down like an excited toddler. Vincent turned, stepped forward and opened the door.

"Good morning," he stepped out of the doorway to let the three in.

Rachel, not able to contain herself any longer, let out a gleeful squeal and embraced an equally cheerful Alois. After kisses and chitchat were exchanged with the blonde, she, as one of the first women that dared to do it, embraced Claude tightly. The stoic raven haired male was so stunned he just hugged her back, patting her back while his eyes begged Alois to help him. The blonde, however, was already too busy pulling a very reluctant Vincent into a hug.

"Good morning, Rachel," Sebastian smiled his most charming smile.

Rachel sighed delighted. "You are really handsome… you remind me little of Vincent when he was younger," she hugged him tightly and whispered something in his ear. Sebastian's pupils dilated a little. He stood back with a smirk.

"That's good to know, Rachel."

She winked and whirled to the others. "Please," she gestured to the right wing of the mansion. "The dining room is this way."

* * *

Ciel turned the steaming water to cold and let it thunder down his back. He shivered briefly and felt his skin tingling. Placing both palms against the cool tiles of the shower wall, he dropped his chin to his chest and stared at his feet.

He heard footsteps behind him, and not bothering to turn around, he told his mother that he would be down shortly.

"That's alright… take your time."

The voice was much deeper than Rachel's and it sent alarmingly pleasant shivers down his spine. He recognized it instantly. He turned the faucets off and straightened his back.

"What are you doing up here?" He slowly circled around and met his intense gaze.

Sebastian leaned casual against the frame of the door, his arms crossed and his crimson eyes shamelessly looking Ciel's slender, toned and very naked body up and down. His pert nipples were perfectly pink and hard from the cold water. A seducing thin strip of hair tracked from his navel down to his groin. His hip bones were just sticking out a little and his legs had long, trained muscles. He was perfect as he stood there with his hands on his hips and his chin tilted, an air of arrogance and sex around him.

"Your mother told me you wanted me to join you," Sebastian told him, his eyes drooping to the semi erect dick. He bit on his bottom lip and stifled a moan when he saw the organ twitch.

Ciel narrowed his eyes. He had not forgotten about last night, but he hid his contempt well.

"She might just be right," Ciel stepped forward and opened the glass door. The cold that rushed in from the bedroom made him shiver. "Can you toss me that towel?"

Sebastian cocked his head, snatched the fluffy white towel from the hook and leaped forward.

"Here you go," he wrapped it around Ciel's slender frame, his eyes staring deep into the visible blue one of Ciel.

"Thank you," the navy haired male let the soft fabric slide down his shoulders and wrapped it loosely around his hips. He tipped his head back and met the electric crimson eyes again. "You can wait in my bedroom. I'll be done shortly," he declared.

Sebastian could've told him that last night had been amazing and that it was something that they should repeat over and over, but deciding that those words would say little to nothing, he caught the younger male off guard by lifting him off his feet and setting him down on the sink.

"What are you…" Ciel's speech was cut off when Sebastian roughly parted his legs, pushed his body between them and crashed his lips on Ciel's.

For a moment, the younger male was too stunned to react, but soon, he returned the kiss eagerly. Hungrily even. He let Sebastian part his lips with his tongue and moaned into the older male's mouth when their tongues brushed cravingly into the other.

Sebastian leaned forward, pressing Ciel back and placing his palms against the mirror, on either side of Ciel's head. He sucked the quivering bottom lip of the younger male between his own and after both drew an erratic breath, Sebastian attacked his upper lip. He gently nibbled on it, ran his tongue over it and pinched it between his own.

Reluctantly, Sebastian pulled back. Ciel's swollen lips were still puckered, waiting to be kissed again. His eye cracked open and he gazed up at him through his lashes.

"Fuck me," he pleaded, hooking a finger behind his towel and unwrapping it. His cock pulsated and he squeezed the head to settle his need. He smeared the precum that had leaked onto his forefinger over Sebastian's lips and he made the older male moan when he reached out his neck and licked it off.

"Fuck Ciel… we can't," Sebastian groaned, rubbing the palm of his hand over the growing erection in his jeans. He dropped his chin to his chest and leaned heavy against the mirror. "You're parents are here," he explained in a tortured tone.

Ciel grabbed Sebastian's waist. With one swift and hard tug, the buttons of Sebastian's popped up, eager to ease the pressure of the tight jeans on the hard cock.

"Shut up… I don't give shit about my parents at this moment. I need your cock inside me, now!"

Sebastian let the younger male work down his pants to just below his ass. He pushed the red boxers down after, freeing the thick and long erection.

The azure blue eye fixed on the enormous dick and Ciel slowly dragged his forefinger over the head, collecting precum on his digit.

"You got some lube?" Sebastian tried to stall, but noticed he was disappointed when Ciel shook his head and told him no.

"This will work just fine," the younger male reached down and rubbed the precum over his asshole, shoving his finger smoothly in and out for a moment.

"What are you waiting for?" Ciel gazed at Sebastian through his bangs. The crimson eyes were slightly confused and anxious as they darted between the erotic scene in front of him and the doorway. Ciel grabbed the collar of Sebastian's white shirt and forced him to look him in the eye.

"Fuck me… if you pussy out, you'll never get another chance."

Sebastian mashed his brows together and narrowed his eyes. "Is that supposed to be a threat?"

Ciel shook his head, his lips curling into an impossibly hot smirk. "No," he breathed. "It's a promise. A fucking guarantee. Back out and you'll never feel how tight my ass will clench your dick."

Sebastian never cared for ultimatums. In fact, they irritated and bored him as fuck. But for this navy haired male, this guy he met a mere week ago, he was ready to make an exception. It would be a onetime thing, he told himself.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Ciel watched Sebastian sink to his knees.

"Stop asking such rhetorical questions," the older male murmured, after which he angled the younger male's hips and parted his ass.

"Ah… _fuck_," Ciel threw his head back, knocking it against the mirror while Sebastian lapped at his hole. It felt warm and wet and Ciel purred and grabbed a fistful of Sebastian's black locks as he pushed his tongue inside. He clenched the muscle so hard he had expected his lover to wince. But, the pressure he exercised on the tongue only seemed to turn Sebastian on.

He got to his feet again, harshly grabbed Ciel's hip with one hand and positioned the head of his dick against the asshole with the other. His eyes locked with Ciel's blue one and with the younger male's silent permission, he started to push the grotesque head of his dick inside.

Ciel cried out, grabbed a hold of Sebastian's shoulders and dug his nails into the t-shirt. He felt the head slide inside and automatically clenched it. Sebastian tilted his head and smiled at the pain wrenched face. He wiped an involuntary tear away from the corner of Ciel's eye.

"Are you ok?"

The eye cracked open and the azure blue seemed to have intensified now that there was a fine film over it. "I'm fine," he rasped through gritted teeth.

Sebastian nodded and slowly pulled back and plunged back in again, this time with a smoother thrust.

When it seemed Ciel had adjusted to the size of the head of his dick, Sebastian told him he'd push a little further. The younger male sucked in a deep breath and nodded.

"Just, relax," Sebastian rubbed soothing circles on Ciel's abdomen and pushed on, moaning with every inch that sunk deeper into the tight ass.

Ciel gritted his teeth. He wasn't used to a dick this size and it hurt as fuck. But, he had to suck it up because he had practically forced himself on Sebastian. He was about to beg Sebastian to pull back a little when the head brushed past his prostate. Ciel groaned a loud, guttural groan, grabbed Sebastian's ass and pulled him closer, fully sheathing the dick inside him.

"Shit fuck, mother-fucking…" He cursed, growling low and rolling his hips, clenching Sebastian's dick. The older male leaned his underarm against the mirror and peered down on the squirming young male beneath him. Ragged breaths ripped from Ciel's swollen lips, his eye meeting the crimson ones.

"Such an impatient little diva," he murmured, pulling back a little and thrusting forward, making Ciel cry out his name. "You have a tight little ass, baby."

"Shut up," Ciel grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down, eagerly attacking his lips when they met his. Sebastian pulled back again, smirking when he heard Ciel moan in his mouth. He fully intended to thrust inside him with one swift move and hear that hoarse and seductive voice cry out his name again.

"Ciel. Sebastian. Breakfast is ready."

Without breaking the kiss, Sebastian kicked the door shut to prevent Rachel from seeing her son getting fucked by another male. He felt Ciel chuckle in his mouth and pulled back.

"What are you laughing about?"

"You, trying to protect my mother's innocence. She walked in on me and William several times, you know."

Sebastian frowned. "I honestly don't give fuck that you and that idiot were that careless, I'm not him and I don't want her to see us like this."

Ciel nodded and eased back as much as he could with the faucet poking in his back. "You're right."

They both turned their head to the door when they heard a soft knock. "You guys finish what you were doing and take your time. We'll be downstairs."

"We'll be out in a minute, mom," Ciel called, feeling the warmth that had filled his body slip away while Sebastian slowly pulled his cock out.

"There's no rush. You can finish what you were doing."

"No, we're good, mom. We'll finish fucking later," Ciel called back and hissed after when the cock popped out of his hole. He chortled at the offended expression on Sebastian's face.

"Fuck, Ciel! Don't say things like that to your mother," he snarled, putting his throbbing and begging cock back in his boxers. The precum that oozed from the tip instantly left a wet stain on the red cotton.

"Come on… my mom and I are close," Ciel hopped off the sink and stretched, rubbing the sore indentation the faucet left in his back.

"We're like girlfriends," Rachel chirped through the door.

"Mom, fuck off! We're not girlfriends," Ciel snapped, stepping forward to open the door.

"Ciel, wait!" Sebastian buttoned the last button in time. Rachel stared at the two, her hands clasped together in front of her and her eyes darting from one to the other.

"Did it feel good, baby?" She asked, her voice steady and her expression betraying that she wasn't joking.

"Good as fuck," Ciel grinned, puffing out his chest.

"WE'LL go downstairs and let you get dressed," Sebastian laughed awkwardly and leaped forward. He grabbed Rachel's shoulders, turned her and gently pushed her to the bedroom door. He threw a meaningful look at Ciel. The latter grabbed his still erected dick and tortured the older male by stroking it and pinching his bottom lip between his teeth.

"Jerk," Sebastian hissed low before following the blonde out of the room. Ciel held his breath and exhaled harsh curses after he heard the door close, venting his frustration of being interrupted in the best fuck he had in weeks.

* * *

Ciel dried himself off, got dressed in the slim jeans and a green v-neck jumper. He fashioned his hair by combing his fingers through it and pushed his feet into a pair of worn sneakers. He didn't bother putting on cologne, he already smelled damn perfect. He smelled of sex, Sebastian and a hint of pineapple and there was no other scent in the world that could be more profound.

He left his room, crossed the landing and descended down the stairs. He quickly winked at himself in the floor length mirror before going to the dining room.

"Finally," Vincent exclaimed when he saw his son enter. He gave him a quick scan up and down and arched an eyebrow. "Does looking like an unkept hobo really take that long? Don't you have some decent jeans without holes in them."

Ciel saw Sebastian stiffen in his seat at the mentioning of the word hole. He bit down a laugh and took the last empty seat, opposite the raven haired male.

"It's the fashion these days dear," Rachel reasoned, covering Vincent's hand with her own and squeezing it. "Kids these days like holes… in their clothing," her eyes exchanged a glance with her son, a stare that only three people at the table fully understood.

Ciel saw Sebastian shift uncomfortably on his chair. His face showed a polite smile but Ciel saw the pained expression behind his crimson eyes.

"Yeah dad," Ciel said, raising his slender leg underneath the timber jetty table. He closely watched Sebastian's face and bit on the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing when he saw the reaction he allured from the older male by pushing his foot between his legs and against his dick. "It's some sort of a requirement that you look like a hobo these days. You rarely find pants without _holes_ in them."

Sebastian stared daggers at Ciel, not at all amused by the little game he seemed to be playing. The foot gently rubbed the growing dick and Sebastian dug his fingertips into the soft seating of his chair to maintain his careless demeanor, even if he wanted to drag Ciel over the table and fuck him on it.

"Well, I do not care for holes," Vincent declared in a most serious tone of voice. He gazed blank around the table when most of his table-companions tried to stifle a laughter.

"Is there something funny about holes?"

Rachel coughed, cleared her throat and shook her head while faking a serious frown.

"Of course not dearest," he petted his hand. "Let's just eat," she suggested, gesturing around the rich variety of food that was displayed on the table.

"Eat as much as you like, there is more where that came from."

"Yes," Ciel murmured, rubbing the sole of his foot against Sebastian's now erected dick. "I'm sure there's more than enough."

Vincent momentarily knitted his brows together while looking from his son to Sebastian and back. He shook his head, banning out the thought and images of what might be going on underneath his dining table.

"Sebastian. Could you pass me the beignets please."

Sebastian, torn between obeying his own throbbing erection and not insulting his new manager and father of the guy who was shamelessly causing his boner, nodded and stifled a moan.

"Certainly, Sir," he reached out and handed Vincent the silver tray. He swore he could see suspicion in Vincent's brown eyes, but the kind thank you he got pushed the horrid images of Vincent strangling him to the back of his mind.

Raising his lidded eyes, he saw the malicious smirk on Ciel's lips and the cheeky gleam in his blue eye. Sebastian knew the younger male was richly enjoying himself by making him uncomfortable.

This was going to be one long and tormented breakfast.

* * *

Telephone sex, who hasn't done it at some point in his/her life? And Vincent, so deliciously ignorant. Got to love him!

Well... I don't think there's much I can add to make this chapter any better or worse... So, review my lovey-doveys, review.

Thank you for reading. Period!

_Oh, one thing... the titles of the chapters, they are prime numbers. Just in case you were wondering. I'll be posting this on DeviantART soon, so, if anyone feels inclined to make fanart for this, I would be honored and I'd post it up there. Thanks!_


	7. Act 13

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

Everyone, once again, I would all like to thank you for the sweet and supportive words. It kind of feels like magic and makes me want to become a better writer so that I may live up to your standards of me.

I would like to dedicate this chapter to you all but two people in particular:

~ Julie: Thank you, for everything! You know your reviews mean the world to me and that I can only hope to one day become this incredible writer you see in me. You move and touch me, and your crazy reviews and unconditional support and love make me want to be better. Cowboys and bowties, baby!

~ Michelle: Bambi... I can only say one thing: sumbit to me, crazy bitch!

Enjoy!

O.

_Grammar check will follow in the morning.._

* * *

Sebastian combed his fingers through his hair. And again. And again. His eyes tried to avoid the younger male that was sitting across from him. The male who had his foot pressed against his erection. The male who was grinning like a horny demon while he rubbed the sole of his shoe against the rigid dick. The male who infuriated and intrigued him all at the same time.

He told himself to breath and stay calm. He was Sebastian Michaelis for crying out loud. He was a legendary Rock star. He had been chased by paparazzi. He had dealt with multiple stalkers. He had had a threesome in the back of an SUV that was parked outside the police station. He knew how to handle pressure. He was always composed and collected in peculiar situations, but with this male, this navy haired male that was approximately three years his junior, he lost all control.

He seemed like an unworldly, innocent boy who was taken by the hand by a sinister and dominant figure. He had no real control over himself anymore, Ciel was leading him and for once in his goddamned life, Sebastian wasn't bored. He was mesmerized by the young and dazzling male. Everything seemed exciting. Desire sparked between them and he willingly embarked on a passionate and daring affair that seemed to come so naturally.

It probably didn't even matter if he wanted to be in this situation or not, Ciel drew him in with his charisma, sexual air and unearthly attractiveness. Being in his presences, Sebastian felt deeply intimidated by the younger male and he loved it. He abso-fucking-lutely loved being controlled by this sensual creature who was changing his life irrevocably.

"Sebastian?"

He snapped out of his own thoughts and turned his attention to the voice. Vincent gave him a suspicious look up and down. Ignoring the throbbing longing in his pants, Sebastian cleared his throat.

"Sorry, Sir. You were saying?"

Vincent stopped putting strawberry jam on his brioche and put his knife down. "How do you feel about Ciel's idea?"

Sebastian's eyes quickly darted from father to son and back. "What idea would that be, Sir?"

Ciel coughed to mask a chuckle. Vincent picked up his coffee mug and held it in front of his lips. "To add some wind instruments to the group. A saxophonist for example. It'll give the band and music something extra."

"That sounds like a very good idea," Sebastian swallowed and grabbed his glass of orange to juice and squeezed it hard to relieve some tension while Ciel applied some more pressure on his painfully throbbing dick. "…I love the saxophone," Sebastian continued, taking a sip to cover the moan that welled up in his chest. "I play the harmonica myself," he added and took another sip after.

"Yeah," Ciel purred, leaning his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers under his chin. "I bet you blow that sucker real good."

Not only Sebastian choked on his sip. Claude slammed his chest as well as fluid went down the wrong pipe, and Alois lovingly offered him a glass of juice over the table and whispered to him, offering soothing words that Sebastian and Ciel wouldn't end up in the sack together. Meanwhile, the blonde winked at the navy haired male, subtly raising his thumb and offering him his widest smirk. Alois sincerely loved all the intrigues.

Vincent raised a skeptical eyebrow at his son, his eyes stern and his usual gentle features hard. Ciel stared back at him, a triumphant smirk adorning his lips and his brilliant blue eye twinkling with childish amusement.

Putting his cup down, Vincent ignored the apology Sebastian stammered and turned his lecture to his son.

"I know you may think you were being subtly, but even a deaf person would've understood that not so subtle comment. I'm not as ignorant as you think I am. I know a lot more than you care to share, just like I am quite aware of the foot you so persistently shove into Sebastian's crotch."

Claude stiffened in his seat, his eyes glaring hard at his friend who sat on the opposite side of the table. Sebastian groaned and slapped a hand over his eyes.

"I am so sorry, Sir," he apologized, dropping his hand to look Vincent in the eye. The latter raised two fingers to silence Sebastian and shook his head.

"It's not your fault. Ciel likes to act up to provoke me. It's nothing we're not used to."

Ciel leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Yes, because that is the sole reason I act like I do. To provoke you. That's a fucking blatant lie and you know it."

"Is this any different from how you acted when you met William? It's actually no wonder he switched to another man to escape your promiscuous ways. I thought you and Dr. Durless were working on that behavior in therapy."

Ciel's eye widened and his mouth twitched while he stared in disbelief at his father. Sebastian felt the pressure on his dick weaken until the foot slipped away entirely. Looking at the navy haired male, Sebastian saw that he was having a hard time keeping his temper under control. He clenched his fork so tight that he bend the silver handle.

Rachel grabbed her husband's hand and squeezed it. She shook her head, her eyes darting from Ciel to Sebastian and back to Vincent again.

"What he discusses with my sister in therapy is confidential, and not real pleasant breakfast conversation. Let's stop arguing about this and enjoy our meal."

Vincent gazed his son over, dropped his chin and nodded. "Yes," he sighed. "You are right, dearest," he agreed. "Forget I mention it," he told his three guests.

"Forget what?" Alois chirped, laughing awkwardly when Claude and Sebastian turned their skeptical glares towards him.

Ciel inhaled deep and exhaled long. After, he turned his attention to his plate and didn't make contact with anyone throughout the entire meal. He just poked his pancakes, shoving them around on his plate without eating a single bite.

Rachel tried to stimulate him to talk. In a subtle and elegant manner, she redirected the conversation back to hiring more artists and seemed genuinely interested to learn more about how Sebastian, Claude and Alois met. If there had been an awkward tension, she drove it straight through the open garden doors with her clear laugh and sincere interest.

Sebastian's eyes wandered to Ciel ever so often. It was amazing to see how fast he had gone from provokingly teasing him under the table to completely mute. Emotionless even. The words promiscuous and therapist kept going around in his mind and he molded over the connection. Was the seductive way this young male behaved around him all part of an act or were they sincerely in this relationship together?

Startled by his own trail of thoughts, his eyes shifted to Claude. The golden orbs looked in his and he instantly knew it wasn't good. He gave Sebastian a look that could only mean something along the lines of I told you so and he might actually be right for once.

He quickly threw his juice back and when Rachel got up to clean off the table, he found a perfect excuse to avoid the sad look in Ciel's eye and the mad one in Claude's. He gathered and piled up the dirty tableware and followed her out of the room.

* * *

Sebastian pushed his back against the swing door Rachel disappeared through and entered the light and open kitchen. Rachel stood at the counter, washing dishes and swinging her hips on David Bowie's Rebel Rebel that blasted from a tiny radio in the windowsill. He watched her hop around for a while, but when she started to sing along in a very false tone of voice, he cleared his throat.

Rachel made a little surprised jump and yelped involuntarily. Clutching her chest, she turned to the door. Sebastian smiled and raised the dirty dishes.

"I thought you could use a hand with that," he explained, stepping forward.

"Oh dear, you did not have to do that," Rachel wiped her hands at her apron. "Here, give me those," she took the filthy plates off Sebastian's hands.

"That's ok. I used to help my mum around the house. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Rachel smiled. "Aren't you the sweetest thing," she plucked a clean dishcloth off the counter and tossed it to him. "You can dry these off," she nodded to the tableware in the drainer.

Sebastian nodded, stepped forward and picked a plate up. Rachel turned her head and studied the young male's profile.

"Do you still live with your parents? I should send your mother a thank you note for raising her son so properly."

His face broke into a smile and Sebastian shook his head. "No, they live back in England. They weren't so supportive when they learned of the career path I chose."

"I'm sorry to hear that. But, you're still in contact with them, right?"

"Not really, no. My father wanted me to take over his place as head of the board of a large hospital chain in England, but when he learned I wanted to be musician, he gave me the ultimatum to either stop going down the dark and sinister path of rock or lose all contact with him. Up till two years ago, I still had contact with my mum but when she found out that I'm gay, she, as a very religious woman, broke off all contact with me as well."

Rachel stopped scrubbing the frying pan and let it sink into the steaming water. With wide eyes, she stared at the broad and sincere smile Sebastian offered her.

"Oh my dear boy, I am so sorry. Do you want me to talk to them? Perhaps if I reason with them, things might smooth over."

Sebastian chortled and shook his head. "That is very kind of you, but I don't think it'll help, nor do I wish to smooth things over with my parents. They were never very supportive anyway, not like you and Mister Phantomhive are supporting Ciel in his decisions," he put the dry plate on the counter and picked up another one. "Have you two always stood by his decisions? About forming a country band and such."

Rachel smiled and nodded. "We did, although I would've preferred he'd play some other music than those hillbilly songs," she added with a giggle and a wink. "I had high hopes that he would become a concert pianist and Vincent wanted him to become a businessman like himself. Even with those differences, there was always one thing we both agreed on and that was that we wanted Ciel to be happy in what he was doing. No matter what he wished the pursue, we would be there to support and help him."

"Even when he told that he…" Sebastian bit his lip for a moment, carefully selecting the words he was going to say next. "… he's attracted to men."

"Especially when he told us that. We had so wanted to have more children but with my weak health, it was a miracle we had Ciel at all. He's my baby boy and I wouldn't want to lose him over something as trivial as sexual preferences. It was a lot harder on Vincent though, and he sometimes still struggles with it. He comes from a very aristocratic family and he wanted to see the Phantomhive legacy get carried on in his grandchildren, so, Ciel coming out put a kink in those plans. But, I told him that if Ciel ever finds the right man and ends up marrying him, there are still numerous of options for them to have children."

Sebastian's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "That is all very, _very _open minded of you," he declared.

"Yes, I'd like to believe that I am open minded, even if we live in the sometimes narrow minded South. We moved here so that Ciel could be closer to the epicentre of country music."

"Sounds like you would do anything for your son."

"Well… the moving was actually Vincent's idea," Rachel leaned on the counter and put her other hand in her side. "Ciel seemed really serious about this music thing, so Vincent thought we should be serious about it as well. I would've preferred to stay in Chicago but, I will do anything for my son. _We_ would do anything for him," she emphasized.

"Can I ask you one more thing? You don't have to answer because it really is not my business but…"

"The accident," Rachel cut him off. Sebastian nodded and was about to apologize for even asking when she cut him off again.

"It happened a little over two years ago. He and his boyfriend of that time, Dagger, got into a massive car accident. Dagger had been drinking so Ciel didn't feel save letting him drive, even if he himself was only a starting driver. Touched in his pride that Ciel took his car keys, Dagger started to pull at the wheel while they were on the freeway. At some point, Ciel lost control off the car and got off road. Before they crashed full frontal into a rock-face, Ciel threw the wheel around, which saved his life, but not Dagger's. He died of his injuries on the way to the hospital. A glass shard of the window made Ciel blind on one side, a broken rib nearly punctured his lungs and he had broken his back, but, he made a full physical recovery."

"So he's in therapy to treat his mental trauma," Sebastian concluded superfluous. Rachel nodded to confirm his conclusion.

"Yes. My sister is actually a gynecologist but she has worked with a lot of traumatized patients. Ciel only trusts her, he fears a normal psychiatrist will only feed him medicine without treating the real problem. He's making some progress, but since my sister is not a trained psychiatrist, it is a long and slow process."

"Does he believe it was his fault?"

Rachel shook her head. "No, he says he doesn't, but after the accident, he changed. He started to act up. He refused to commit himself to anything other than his music. He started to have sexual affairs with numerous of people, flings that lasted no longer than a week. He turned from a shy, caring and sweet boy to this closed off, music- and sex obsessed young man. My sister believes that he has developed some sort of a self defense mechanism that strongly resembles a bipolar disorder, because of the heavy mood swings. One moment he's on top of the world and has unnatural confidence in himself and hours later, he sinks into an abhorrent mood in which he is filled with self loathing. Then… William came along and we saw him change. We started to see a little of his old self again and we hoped he could break down that mental wall Ciel had put up. But, I guess that in the end, William wasn't commit enough."

"Don't mind me asking, but, why did you send me up to his room then? If you want him to stop this promiscuous behavior, this did not aid to that."

"Because," Rachel's eyes darted to the door for a moment to check if nobody was listening. "Your music seemed to be one of the few things that helped him through his off moments. He would listen to one of your songs and he would instantly be in a better mood again. I thought that he might open up to you, and I am sorry that I put you in that position. It was wrong of me and I apologize. It is not your problem to deal with."

"Please," Sebastian stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't apologize. I am part of his band now so ultimately, it is my problem as well. How many times a week does he see his doctor?"

"Not as often as he used to. He thinks he can handle it on his own."

"Perhaps I can convince him to go and see her regularly again. If you believe it is for his best interest, it will be for our best interest as well."

"If you can convince him to talk about it, with anybody at all, I will be very grateful," Rachel swallowed and pulled a handkerchief from he apron to dap her eyes. "Thank you, Sebastian."

"It's my pleasure," he gave her an encouraging squeeze. "Thank you for trusting me enough to share this with me."

"You were bound to find it out sooner or later. Now that you know about his problems, you might be able to cope with his sudden tantrums."

* * *

Rachel fell silent when the swing door opened with a swooshing sound. Ciel sauntered into the bright room, his eye carefully analyzing the situation.

"You guys talking about me?" He leaned against the kitchen island, placing one hand on the granite counter and the other in his side.

"Perhaps," Rachel declared mysteriously. She turned back to the sink and finished scrubbing the frying pan. "I'll make some sandwiches for this afternoons' lunch."

"You do that," Ciel murmured as he leaped forward. Sebastian's body jerked when the younger male grabbed his ass and squeezed. "I could really go for these delicious buns," he breathed in the older male's ear.

Sebastian groaned, silently wondering what kind of a family he walked into when Ciel told his mother she should have a feeling of his firm ass too. Rachel chuckled and shook her head at her son.

"I don't think Sebastian would be very comfortable with that." She took her yellow rubber gloves off and placed them on the drainer. "I'll leave you two alone for a moment."

Sebastian swallowed audibly, his eyes following the blonde woman while she left the kitchen, surrendering him to the navy haired male's whims. The older male slowly circled around and was immediately cornered by the younger male.

Ciel placed his hands on the counter on either side of Sebastian and leaned in. "I think there is still some unfinished business left," he pushed his pelvis tightly against Sebastian's. "Perhaps we should finish it right here, right now…"

"Please Ciel," Sebastian grunted, tilting his head back and staring at the younger haired male passed his nose. "This behavior isn't healthy."

"Mmm… are you mad?" Ciel grabbed Sebastian's hips and softly massaged the flesh through the jeans. He felt the heat radiating off the older male's skin and sex pheromones tickled his nostrils. "Have I been a bad boy," he breathed, standing on his tiptoes and grazing his teeth over the older male's chin. "Are you going to punish me?"

Sebastian looked left and right, pressed his hands under Ciel's jaw and leaned in. "Stop talking like a fucking cheap commercial add. This is serious. What you did in the dining room, you cannot do that again. Not when your father is in the room," he hissed, trying to keep his voice as low as possible.

"Come on," Ciel purred, dragging his fingertip over Sebastian's bare collarbone. "You cannot deny that it turned you on. You were almost as hard as you were when you fucked me."

"_Fuck_ Ciel," Sebastian sucked on his bottom lip and bent over, nuzzling his nose into Ciel's neck and inhaling his scent. He could still detect hints of his own scent and taking another deep breath, he got a whiff of the profound smell of sex. It all mixed together with Ciel's natural seductive scent and made him delirious.

"You want to give in, don't you?" Ciel's fingers fumbled with the buttons of his jeans.

"I do…" Sebastian confirmed in a low murmur. "I so fucking do…"

Ciel grabbed the older male's hand and placed it on his ass. He whimpered in anticipation when Sebastian squeezed and smacked it.

"Come on, big boy," Ciel breathed, inhaling sharply when Sebastian sucked on the skin of his throat. "Fuck me on this kitchen counter. I'm sure your dick is already nice and leaking, waiting to impale me and fuck me hard."

Sebastian groaned against the porcelain skin of Ciel's neck, exhaling a vaporous breath and lapping at the red sucking mark on the younger male's throat. Ciel moaned and threw his head back, willingly and eagerly baring his sensitive skin to Sebastian's warm and sucking lips. He dug his fingertips into the strong muscles of the older male's back and groaned satisfied and gasped when Sebastian sunk his teeth in the perfect, lilywhite skin.

"Are you guys about ready to leave… I want to finish recording our first single this afternoon so that Vincent can call with some radio stations and…"

Claude stopped midphrase and narrowed his eyes at the pair. Reluctantly, Sebastian detached his lips from the delicious skin and tilted his head. His crimson eyes met Claude's golden ones and he could see the condemning gleam flash through the staring orbs.

Claude straightened his hoodie, pushed his already snug glasses a little further up his nose and cleared his throat.

"Alois and I will be waiting by the car. Make it fast," and with those words, he left.

Ciel didn't catch the judgmental tone in Claude's voice and persistently craned his neck back, obviously awaiting Sebastian's lips to suckle on the soft skin again. He hadn't even started to fathom that Sebastian could actually resist his perfect flesh until the older male leaned back and carefully removed Ciel's hand out of his pants.

"We should get going," Sebastian told him, straightening Ciel's sweater and buttoning up his pants.

Ciel's eye grew and he stared wide eyed after Sebastian as the older male gently shoved him out of his way and walked to the door.

"How the fuck can you resist me like that? Don't you want me?"

With his hand already on the swing door, Sebastian dropped his chin to his chest and sighed.

"Ciel, please don't ask me questions you don't want to hear the answer of. I don't think I can give you the answer you are waiting for."

He felt a pang in his chest and Ciel swallowed audibly. He set his jaw, tipped his head back and leaned against the counter. "Try me. It's just sex right, so there is not an answer that can hurt me."

Sebastian lowered his hand and circled to Ciel. His entire attitude was indifferent but his eye betrayed that he was anything but.

"Ciel, next to my music career, I don't think there has ever been anything that I wanted so bad it makes my skin crawl. I would love nothing more but to throw you over that counter and fuck you until you're spend, but… I think you should deal with your issues first."

The younger male mashed his brows together. "My issues?" His eye widened a little when he realized what Sebastian meant by that. "Did my mother talk to you about the accident?"

"Yes, she did," Sebastian confirmed.

"Fucking bitch," Ciel snarled, clenching his fists alongside his body.

"Don't call her that, she is just looking out for you. You should be glad to have parents that are so involved with you. Parents who support you, unconditionally."

"Yeah, they should name a fucking holiday after them," Ciel quipped sarcastically. Sebastian sighed and shook his head.

"If you keep up that lame attitude, I can assure you that I will never fuck you again in my life."

Ciel snorted. "Geez, I'm so scared," he mockingly bit his knuckles. "You're not the only available dick around these parts, you know. There are hundreds of willing men that would throw me a fucking gala to have a taste of my tight ass."

"I bet there are, but there is not a single one of them that you want as bad as you want me."

For a moment, neither spoke. They just stared at each other until Ciel caved in and admitted Sebastian was right.

"What do you want me to do?"

Sebastian pushed his back against the swing door. "Go see your therapist regularly again. Once you prove to me that you're working on your issues, I will fuck you and I will fuck you hard. I will even fuck you in front of your parents if that's what you want."

"No," Ciel retorted with a soft giggle. It was so endearing that Sebastian had to evoke on all his willpower not to storm over and lose himself into a passionate kiss with the younger male. He tilted his chin, smirked and jerked his head to the hallway.

"Let's go, little diva. We have a song to record."

A low growl rose in Ciel's chest as he neared the older male. "Don't call me a diva."

Sebastian chortled and ruffled the navy locks as Ciel passed. "I'll stop calling you that when you stop acting like one. Now, get you pretty butt into my front seat, we need to make this magic happen."

* * *

Ciel surprised his parents by stomping by and yelling at them that they had to make an appointment with his aunt for a therapy session. Sebastian winked at Rachel and greeted her politely before following Ciel and Vincent out the door.

Claude leaned against the car, a cigarette loosely between his lips. Alois had sprawled himself over the hood and basked in the warm glow of the September sun.

"You, get off my hood," Sebastian made Alois yelp when he slammed down a hand on the car. The former exchanged a meaningful look with Claude. The raven haired male nodded, professionally pinked the butt of his cigarette away and got in the backseat. Alois nearly dove into the back and snuggled up against Claude's warm chest.

"No fucking hanky-panky in the back of my car. I just had it cleaned on the inside," Sebastian warned while he adjusted his rear mirror and spotted Alois palming Claude's cock in the reflection. He glanced sideways and smiled at Ciel's profile.

"Ready?"

Ciel turned his head and answered the kind smile with one of his own. It made Sebastian pine for his touch.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Ciel told him before he leaned forward and started to switch radio channels. Sebastian backed out of the driveway and after going through the gates of the estate, he turned right and followed Vincent to the studio.

The drive was a quiet one. Alois was not-so secretly jerking Claude off and both Ciel and Sebastian tried to ignore the stifled moans and smacking sounds when the two made out again. Stealing sideway glances every now and then, both males suffered from a major boner that could only be satisfied by the other. Both were equally relieved then they finally arrived at the studio and they could set their minds to something else entirely.

* * *

Vincent had told them to wait for the red light to go on. All four of them were now fixated on the little bulb that hung above the door of the recording room. Sebastian kept combing his fingers through his hair and Alois nervously tapped his foot to an unknown rhythm. Claude kept adjusting the band of his bass guitar and Ciel chewed on his plectrum.

A speaker cracked overhead and after a moment, Vincent's voice asked them if they were ready. Moments after they all nodded insecure to the mirror glass, the red light switched on. Sebastian inhaled deep, placed his lips against the microphone and sang the first lines.

_Woke up this morning to the sound of the screen door that slammed…_

* * *

Ciel history. How did the little crazy brat become who he is.

Well.. there is little left for me to say. Review and make my day (night) a little better. Don't review (T-T O. sad)

Thank you for reading. Period!


	8. Act 17

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

Actually just a little bit of a builder chapter. I know we all love smut and the teasing and seductive tension between Sebastian and Ciel but I need a story in here, so, there will be plenty of smut in another chapter. I think I will even fulfill KArii's wish for an Alois and Claude smut scene, because I know we all want it.

Well... I would once again like to thank all of your for the reviews. I still love you for it and I always will!

Enjoy!

O.

* * *

Ciel heard a dull and short buzz overheard when he opened the door to his aunt's practice. The waiting room smelled sterile, a little like a hospital, even if they tried to mask it with lilac scented potpourri and fresh flowers. The milky glass window of the reception was closed, so he leaned on the counter and tapped a rhythm on the cherry wood top.

He could see the receptionist through the glass, but he couldn't be bothered with tapping on it to get her attention. He didn't really want to be here in the first place, so any change he had of stalling the appointment was more than welcome.

He thumbed through the folder rack that stood on the reception and wrinkled his nose at all the pro female material that was offered. He never cared much for lecture but would it have killed his aunt to put out some motor or music magazines?

Ciel heard voices behind the door that read Dr. A. Durless. She was still in there with a patient. The kind if patient you would expect at the gynecologist, very pregnant women who after a night of cheap booze and a rancid hotel got knocked up. Ciel had his own perception of getting pregnant and it had absolutely nothing to do with love.

When he had told his mother the other day that she should make an appointment with his aunt again, she had taken it very seriously. Now, Ciel was stuck to seeing her at least once a week for the next month. He had only said it to settle Sebastian's mind and he already regretted even coming here.

"Fuck this shit," he dropped the pamphlet on uterine prolapse and circled on his heels.

He heard the milky glass panel slide open and he could only hope he would already be out the door before the assistant saw him.

"Can I help you?"

Ciel groaned when he heard the bubblegum pop. He briefly cursed his mother, set his jaw and slapped a handsome smile on his face while he slowly turned back to the reception. In her amethyst eyes, he saw recognition dawn on her and her long and perfectly manicured fingers reached up to twirl a blonde lock around her finger.

He slowly sauntered back to the counter and leaned on the top.

"I have an appointment," he told her in a matter-of-fact tone, as if it was the most natural thing in the world that a male would have an appointment with a gynecologist.

She gazed him up and down, her plucked eyebrow arched in a quizzical look and suspicion flickering through her eyes.

"You," she snapped a finger at him. "You have an appointment with Dr. Durless."

"Yes."

"Not your girlfriend?"

"I don't have a girlfriend."

Her expression went from puzzled to completely awestruck. She seemed to contemplate whether she should continue questioning him or to call the press to tell that Ciel Phantomhive had an appointment at a gynecologist.

Ciel just smiled, actually enjoying the entire confusion on her attractive face. It screwed with the pretty and gave her a dumb look and thinking frowns. He wanted to make her aware of that. He wanted to see if she would cry if someone pointed out her flaws. He was mad that Sebastian had manipulated him into going to therapy again with abstinence and he needed to take it out on someone. He bent over the counter and tapped on the big agenda in front of the girl.

"Right there," he told her, pointing out his name with the little silver star doodled behind it. He could see that his aunt had cleared her entire schedule after three o'clock. This could only mean she intended to have an all afternoon session.

The assistant mashed her brows together when she saw the name was indeed penciled into the agenda. She gave him one firm nod, popped her gum and gestured to the waiting room.

"Please, have a seat. I'll let the doctor know you're here," she rose to her ten inch heels and wobbled to the treatment room.

Ciel, knowing that now that he had been spotted there was no more way out of this, sauntered to one of the two couches and flopped down. He yanked a traveling magazine from the side table and thumbed through it. For a moment, his eye was drawn to an article about the crescent city blues festival this October.

The room opened and he briefly gazed at the people who walked out over the rim of the magazine. The blushing mother to be was not much older than Ciel himself and her pipsqueak of a boyfriend had his hands full with keeping the two hellions she already sprouted from killing each other. He hid is face behind the magazine to hide his disgust.

"Keep taking these vitamins and stop smoking," he heard his aunt say sternly. This only increased his revulsion for the white trash. He not-so subtly cleared his throat to announce his presence and leisurely flipped a page. He could feel his aunt's eyes on him and he could hear in her tone of voice that she was trying to get rid of them.

"If for anything, I'll see you in two weeks to induce the labour. Take care."

The door closed and moments after, the magazine was ripped from his hands. The red haired woman loomed over him, hands in her sides while she peered down on him through her bangs, he glasses sinking down to the tip of her nose.

"And where have you been?" She quipped snide.

Ciel shrugged and sat back. "Been busy, auntie Anne. I have a life you know."

"Oh… she's your aunt," they heard a chirping voice from behind the counter. "For a moment I was afraid that you were one of those unchristian transvestites with a mommy complex," her Southern accent very present when she whispered the last words as if they were something disgusting.

Ciel and his aunt managed to stare at each other with a straight face for ten more seconds before they both bursted out in laughter. The assistant laughed awkwardly, not entirely sure of what just happened.

"Come on," Anne rolled up the magazine and smacked Ciel's feet off the table. "Get on your feet and march yourself in there. Time for some therapy. Irene, hold all my calls will you."

* * *

Ciel rose to his feet, stuffed his hands in the pockets of his sports jacket and walked into his aunt's office. He walked to her desk, sank down in her comfortable office chair and twirled it around. Anne took her white coat off and hung it from hatstand in the corner.

"I don't know how you do it, aunt Anne, but it seems your assistants are always dumber than their predecessor," he concluded, and stopped twirling when she gave him a stern look. He replied with a lopsided smirk and flopped his feet down on the desk.

"Ciel," she warned, narrowing her eyes at her only nephew while sitting down on the tip of her desk.

He raised his hands in defense, sat up straight and laced his hands under his chin.

"So," she began, her red eyes focusing on the navy haired male. "What has my favorite nephew been up to these days."

"Only nephew," Ciel pointed out. "I started a new band," he told in a matter-of-fact tone while his eye darted to the treatment table and the stirrups and the detailed posters of the female genitalia that decorated the wall behind it.

"I know," Anne declared, crossing her arms. "Your mother called me last week. Good for you. I heard you recruited that hottie you used to like so much, Sebastian Michaelis. How is he in real life?"

"As gay as they come," Ciel told her, his lips curling into an amused smirk when he saw the disappointment written all over her face. She shrugged it off with a meh, all the good ones are.

"So. Tried to jump his bones yet?" She asked him bluntly. Ciel chuckled, sat back and put his hands behind his head.

"That is not very shrink-like of you, aunt Anne."

"I find that being upfront with you has more effect than to equivocate the issue."

"Oeh," Ciel hissed through his teeth. "Such fancy psychiatrist talk, aunt Anne. You've grown into your part. Got something to drink?"

Anne stood, rounded the desk and bent down to get a bottle of water and a mountain dew.

"Stop with that childish attitude. You know I'm not the enemy," she placed the can in front of him and hopped unto her desk again. "So. What is new in your life besides the whole new band thing," she rolled up the sleeves of red blouse and leaned back to look him in the eye.

Ciel gazed up at her from below, his brows mashed together. "You think that an entire new band isn't a very irrevocable life change?"

"I do, but there's something else about you. You seem more relaxed. Have you been going to yoga classes like I suggested."

Ciel drew a face and made a tsk sound. "Nuhuh. As if you would catch me doing some sunrise dog upwards position. No thank you. I'll stick with sex. Afterwards, all my muscles are very relaxed as well."

"You're not on that self destructive path again are you?" Anne frowned. "You're seeing all kinds of guys again?"

Ciel shook his head and twirled the chair around. "No… I am seeing one guy. The exact same guy that told me I should go to therapy if I ever wanted his dick up my ass. The same guy that told me we're not in a relationship but are just having casual sex…" He stopped twirling and stared straight ahead. "The guy that I am falling for, aunt Anne."

Anne tipped her head back and studied her nephew. Ciel's eye looked everywhere except in hers. He already knew he was falling for Sebastian, hell, he had been in love with the guy ever since he heard his voice, but he had never admitted it out loud.

"Does Sebastian know this?"

His torso jerked and he snapped his head up to his aunt.

"How can you be so sure it's even Sebastian?

Anne tossed her bangs, opened her bottle of water and took a sip.

"Please, Ciel. You have had this little crush on him since you learned of his existence. True, at first it was all very platonic because you hadn't met him in real life, but now that you have, the sexual vibes are gushing from your body. Have you told him this already?"

"What? That I had a platonic crush on him," Ciel grinned, knowingly avoiding her real question.

Anne rolled her eyes, put her palms flat on the desk and leaned forward.

"No. That you are deeply in love with him. That you want to be more than just a sexual relationship. That you want to have his babies," she joked with a wink.

"Please," Ciel gently shoved his aunt and chuckled. His face soon grew serious and dark again. "He doesn't want to have any other relationship than a sexual one. He thinks feelings would get in the way of the band and I actually agree with him."

"No, you don't."

"How do you know? Can you look into my head?"

"No, but I can see the heart wrenching pain written all over your face. Don't you think it would be wise to tell him how you feel?"

"And risk the pain of having him reject me straight to my face. No thank you."

"The pain is little payment for the result. What if he feels the same way and you two have been dancing around that issue for nothing."

"But what if he doesn't," Ciel pointed out annoyed. "Aunt Anne, I'd rather have a great sexual relationship with Sebastian and win the international title of best country/blues band than have the awkwardness of telling him and the band breaking up because the feelings aren't mutual. You know that's the real reason Collide broke up, because I couldn't stand William and Aleister together…"

"And because Aleister is a fucking idiot," Anne added with a sneer.

"That too," Ciel chortled. "But I don't want the same fate for this band. I get to have great sex with Sebastian Michaelis and win the title of best country/blues band. I have nothing to lose here."

"You do realize that this is very egocentric of Sebastian," Anne declared with a raised eyebrow.

Ciel shook his head. "No, it's egocentric of me. I get to use him in two ways. For sex and to win a title I very much desire."

His aunt shook her head and placed a hand on his shoulder. "No, Ciel. I bet that he knows. Deep down, Sebastian knows how you are feeling and since he's older than you, he should make the right decision and protect you from this."

"No… he doesn't have to hold my hand and he doesn't have to make decisions for me. He and I are in this together and if I feel like he's using me, I should cut the cord, not him, nor you, or anyone else. Me, it should be my decision! I'm not a fucking child anymore so stop treating me like one!"

Anne scrutinized her nephew closely. His sudden outburst had taken its toll on his lungs and every breath he took was a struggle and he wheezed with every painful exhale. She opened her desk drawer, reached in and placed the inhaler she got from it in front of Ciel's lips.

"Take a deep breath in and out," she told him calmly. Ciel followed her orders and closed his lips around the spout of the inhaler after. She gave it one firm squeeze and slowly watched his cramped muscles relax. His face got its normal color again and the frown ceased to a serene and calm expression.

"I'm sorry if I provoked you," she apologized, picking up the soda can and offering it to her nephew. Ciel took a large gulp and shook his head.

"It's ok. I shouldn't let you get me so worked up over this. It's just sex, nothing I'm not used to."

"But that's just it, Ciel. It is not just sex. You like this guy, a lot, and bottling all those feelings up will eventually have its toll on your health…"

Ciel raised his hand, silently commanding her to stop.

"Please… let's save another asthma attack for our next appointment. I can only handle so much in such a short period of time. Let's talk about something else, please."

Anne sighed and crossed her legs.

"You're right. So, what else is going on in your life beside the new band and relationship. Did you finally convince Lizzy that you are really gay and that you two will never marry."

Ciel offered her a broad grin and shook his head while sitting back. "I don't think that'll ever get through to her thick head. That girl is hopeless."

Anne could've told her nephew that he was hopeless as well, but triggering another heated discussion and a probable asthma attack wasn't something she wanted to put him through again. So, she just sat back and listened to him while he went on about his college friend.

* * *

"_Good afternoon, country lovers all over the USA! This is Kris Daniels for New Country Q1031 and today I'm talking to one of the newest and most rumored country bands of the America. Yes, it is none other than Ciel Phantomhive, former lead guitarist of Collide and his new band that is formed from the hottiest that once brought you Black Butler, Sebastian Michaelis, Claude Faustus and Alois Trancy. I should have a live connection with their studio right now, so good afternoon, you're on the air!_"

Ciel rolled his eyes at the chirping voice and could hardly contain his laughter when he heard Claude respond in a very annoyed manner.

"Yeah, Kris… we can hear you. Very loud and very clear," Claude retorted irritated. Not only did her high pitched voice seem to hurt his ears, Alois breathing in the other and asking him if they were going to have sex against the bookcase again tonight was working on his nerves as well.

"_Oh my, is this Claude I'm speaking to? Welcome on the air. It's good to have you and the other three former Black Butler members on the country side now. I hope you have time for a few questions before we're going to play your newest hit single Anywhere. It just hit the radio yesterday and it already raced to the top three nationwide. How does it feel to be back on track, Ciel?"_

Ciel leaned forward. "It feels pretty damn good. Not only can I play music again, I think this band can over me and the world so much more, especially vocally."

"_Oeh, that was a harsh lash out to your former lead singer, Aleister._"

"Not really no. It's the truth. Sebastian's voice is much more fitting for country songs and now that I play with Claude and Alois, it feels like I'm getting challenged again. Their performance is so incredibly brilliant that I need to boost my own skills to keep up with them and that is a great challenge and exercise."

"_Yes. I think I'm not the only one that was awestruck after the announcement. How did Ciel manage to capture such famous musicians to join his country band, because this must have been a big change for all of you. Especially for you Sebastian, because basically, you breathed rock and roll."_

Sebastian cleared his throat and leaned forward. "It's not necessarily such a big a change as it might seem. There are a lot of themes that are reoccurring in both rock and country. Heartache, drinking, struggling. The melodies are different, but the basics are the same. It's both music that comes from the heart."

"_No truer words have ever been spoken. One last question remains. Do you think you stand a change in beating what is left of Collide in the New Orleans Country Showdown?_"

The four exchanged a look and unanimously said yes.

"_That was all the time we had for today. I'd like to thank my guests, the members of the new and already extremely popular band the Funtom Company. Stay tuned in to listen to their first hit single Anywhere. Thank you guys so much!_"

Claude pressed the phone call away and shoved the mobile in his pocket. In the kitchen of the studio, they could hear the vague sounds of Rachel, singing along with their newly released song. Closer by, they heard Vincent's footsteps, and he entered with a wide smile curling his lips.

"That was brilliant. I just got a call from Country 93.5 up in Covington. When we release our album, they want you all to come to the studio up in Tennessee. This is going better than I had expected."

"This calls for a good celebration," Rachel walked in, a silver tray with glasses and a bottle on it. "I think champagne will be in order." She handed the expensive bottle of pink sparkling wine to her husband who let the cork pop.

Before Ciel could grab a glass, his mother smacked him on the hand and shook her head.

"You're still well under twenty-one, so no," she told him in a stern tone of voice.

Ciel's jaw dropped a little. "You're ok with me being gay and sending men up to my room but you won't let me have alcohol?"

She snapped a finger up. "Not together with your medication."

"That's just stupid," Ciel blurted in disbelief.

"It's my prerogative as your parent," Rachel pointed out, sipping her own drink.

"Alois isn't twenty-one either," Ciel argued, snapping a hand at the blonde.

"Yes, I am," Alois quipped back, throwing the drink back before Rachel could snatch it away from him. He burped softly and giggled, feeling the effects of the alcohol mix with the haze of the joint he smoked half an hour ago.

"I'm not his mother, now am I?" Rachel explained in a matter-of-fact tone. "Now, who would like some celebration cake?"

"Me!" Alois threw his arm around her shoulders. "Can we look at those baby pictures now while we have another glass of champagne as well," he threw a teasing look over his shoulder and playfully stuck out his tongue to Ciel.

"Shut up," Ciel flipped him the finger, walked to the other end of the studio and sank down on one of the couches.

"There's something I'd like to discuss with you about doing some television performances," Vincent told Claude while putting his glass down. "Perhaps it's best if we step into the office and let these two work on the last four songs that need to be written," he gave his son a meaningful look.

Ciel waved it away with a hum, closed his eyes and threw his head back. He heard the door close and a set of footsteps coming his way.

* * *

"You're still here?" He cracked his eye open and it followed Sebastian while he sat down on the other bench. Sebastian flopped a foot down on the coffee table and spread his arms over the back of the couch.

"How was your first therapy session?" He asked bluntly, his crimson eyes scrutinizing him.

Ciel exhaled, jerked forward and laced his hands together while he sat hunched over.

"It was good enough. I don't want to discuss it."

Sebastian nodded, perching his lips. "Fair enough, those are your issues, not mine."

"We did discuss you," Ciel told him, his eye gazing up at Sebastian from below to study the kind of reaction that would provoke with Sebastian.

"I'm sure you did," Sebastian declared very calmly. "This new band is a life altering change so it was natural that you'd bring it up in therapy. What did your aunt have to say about it?"

Ciel dropped his chin and smiled at his worn converse. "Yeah, it was about that. Of course," he mumbled more to himself than to anyone else.

"Excuse me. Did you say something?" Sebastian leaned forward, brows frowned while he tried to read the timid and quiet demeanor Ciel had sunken into.

Ciel shook his head, avoiding eye contact at any costs. He even drooped his eye to the floor when Sebastian cupped his chin and tilted his head to try and look him in the eye.

"Something you care to share with me?"

His blue eye finally looked in his crimson ones. Ciel thought about the words he had told his aunt, about him using Sebastian for his own egocentric goals. He knew he had been lying through his teeth. He didn't want to use Sebastian, he wanted to be with him. But, there had been one thing he hadn't lied about. The situation was still a win-win, even if it meant that he had to shove his own feelings aside so he could be with him. So, he slapped on a charming smile and leaned forward.

"No, everything is good," he rubbed his nose against Sebastian's and surprised him with a quick peck on the lips before standing. "We still have some songs to write," he stretched and yawned. "Let's get do that before Claude and my dad get into our hair."

Sebastian watched him saunter to the piano. He narrowed his eyes at his lanky and fragile frame and knew something was off about him. He also knew that Ciel wouldn't tell him when they were in the studio. So he decided for himself that he had to get rid of Claude and Alois tonight.

"You know what," Sebastian pushed himself up, walked over and surprised Ciel by putting his hands on his shoulders. "How about you come to my house tonight and we'll work on some songs while having a drink."

Ciel squinted his eye and stared Sebastian up and down, suspicion evident on his face.

"Why? What's wrong with working on them now"

"Because," Sebastian closed the notebook Ciel had opened. "Forcing ourselves to write some songs will only result in horribly wrong shit. When we just sit back, relax and let the words come to us, I'm sure the songs will be much more better."

Ciel mashed his brows together, a grin slowly curling his lips. "Are you inviting me over to have sex?" He joked with a wink.

Sebastian rolled his eyes and shook his head with a low chuckle. "I invite you over to write some songs, but," he leaned in, placing his lips against Ciel's ear. "You never know what might happen with the right motivation."

Ciel shuddered when he felt Sebastian's warm tongue gently drag over the outer shell of his ear.

"Where are you going?" The younger male turned to the door.

Sebastian halted in the doorway and circled back to Ciel. He placed his palm high on the doorframe. "To make sure the house is empty when you arrive," he told him with a seductive wink. "You bring the food, I'll take care of the drinks."

Ciel felt his heart skip a beat and watched the older male take off. The words of his aunt about holding off sex until he knew what he really wanted kept going through his mind but he chose to ignore them. Right now, he didn't care. He was going to have a night alone with Sebastian and not shying back from an old time cliché, he wanted to turn it into a night that he could write about in his songs.

* * *

Ah, Red is a normal kind of aunt in this fiction. I like the idea of her being sweet to Ciel. I think he can really use someone offering him some perspective other than his mother whose already picturing Sebastian into the Christmas table picture.

Leave a review. It means the world to me...

Thank you for reading. Period!


	9. Act 19

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

With the very disappointing rate of reviews I got on my lastest chapter of The Circus Macabre, I was contemplating if I even wanted to post this. My motivation to write it was completely vanished.

BUT, since I'm not the most horrible human being that walks this earth, I decided to suck it up and give it to you anyway. As a thank you to the four that did review Circus. (You know who you are and I am in debt to your kind words... here's my end of the bargain)

_Karii; Your wish is my command, your highness. Gracias por todo, mi amor!_

So, go and review this and read and review The Circus right after. Give me that motivation again, please...

Enjoy!

O.

_Alert: Spelling check will follow when I'm not tipsy on Dutch gin!_

* * *

Alois flopped down on the soft king sized bed and exhaled delighted while staring at the mirror ceiling.

"This is awfully nice of Sebastian, offering and paying for a presidential suite," the blonde rolled onto his stomach and snatched the room service menu off the nightstand. "I bet he wouldn't mind if we ordered some champagne," he chirped, thumbing through the endless choice of liquor and swaying his legs in the air.

"I hope you know this is only a courtesy he extents so that he has the house to himself and can screw Ciel. Bard is in the room next door," Claude told Alois in an annoyed voice.

"Ah, come on baby," Alois closed his eyes, waved his finger in front of the most expensive bottles of sparkling wine and planted it down. He peered through his lashes and smirked satisfied at the brand he unconsciously choose. "Let them have their fun, what harm can it do? You like Dom Perignon, right? Speaking of fun… we could invite Bard to come over. Poke the heterosexual a little," Alois added with a wink.

"It's not a matter of fun. It's the feelings that have me worried," Claude explained while unbuttoning his dress shirt and carelessly throwing it over one of the sofas. "And no, we are not having that idiot over."

Alois rolled his eyes and snorted at his boyfriend's aversion against the blonde. "Why do you worry about their feelings?" Alois picked up the phone. "We are in a relationship and we're perfectly fine."

Claude sank down on the edge of the bed and smiled while he watched his lover order a bottle of the most expensive champagne available and curly fries. His golden eyes dropped to the exposed ankles and he made Alois shiver when he brushed his fingertips over the pale skin.

"It's not like that, Alois. They're the face of this band. They're worshipped by the fans so every step they take will be magnified and exaggerated in the media. If they start a relationship, the fans will gobble it up like it's the most fancy haute couture."

Alois just blinked at him, the phone hanging midway to his ear. His expression silently demanded a further explanation, so Claude tried to simplify the situation which he assumed to be obvious.

"With the fans demanding more information, their every move will be displayed by the tabloids. And not only that, every so-called misstep will be documented as well. They will take care of that on their own at first, but, the pen is a powerful thing. It'll eventually mess with their minds, cause a wedge between them and the real truth. They could lose their trust in one another and when that happens, this band will be over before you can even utter the word couples counseling."

Still, Alois could only blink at him without saying a word. Claude groaned, yanked his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I don't think I can explain it any more clearer than this. What don't you understand?"

"They're the most popular? They are the face of the band?" Alois finally exclaimed. Claude grunted a weary sigh, pushed himself up and turned to the blonde.

"That's really all you care about, isn't it? Your own fame."

Alois shrugged with a smirk, propped up on his knees and shoveled over to the foot of the bed.

"You know I'm joking, baby," the blonde purred, his slender fingers playing with the buckle of Claude's jeans. "We had that shit as well when we started dating. Tabloids saying I stole you away from Sebastian and trying to turn us all against each other. It was slander, circulating lies to confiscate. It's part of being a star."

"Yes," Claude agreed, a smirk curling his lips while he let his boyfriend undo his pants. "The part nobody asks for and everybody wants to read about." His body jerked when Alois pulled the belt through the loops and dropped it on the floor.

"Let's not worry about that right now," Alois breathed, pressing kisses around Claude's naval. "Let me make it so that you don't care about that anymore," he whispered on, dragging his tongue over the toned abs.

Claude pressed his hands under the blonde's jaw and bent down to engulf his lips in a slow kiss. Alois let his lover ambush his mouth with his tongue and moaned into the older male's mouth when their tongues crashed together. He wrapped himself around the strong torso, his fingers digging into the strong muscles of Claude's back and his nails scratching the skin gradually.

Claude nipped at Alois's bottom lip, ran his tongue over it and sucked it between his own after. The blonde shivered under his lover's impressive skills and pressed his pelvic bone hard against Claude's, just to let him feel how much the older male turned him on.

Standing back, Claude smiled satisfied at the flustered and astonished expression on Alois's face. Every time he kissed the blonde like this, it seemed Alois was surprised, as if it was their first time. It was one of the things that did not irritate the older male.

"You look so sweet like this," Claude told him, running his thumb over Alois's lips. "So innocent," he continued as he bent down to graze his lips over the blushing cheeks. "So not you," he breathed, kissing the closed eyelid of the blonde.

Alois giggled. "I was very innocent before I met you," he joked, hooking a finger behind the rimless glasses of his lover and taking them off. Placing them on the bridge of his own nose, he started shoveling backwards on the bed and crooked a finger to beckon his lover to come over.

Claude growled low, climbed onto the bed and slowly crawled over on hands and knees. He grabbed Alois's ankles and pulled him underneath him.

"Let me see how innocent you were before me then," Claude hummed, licking the outer shell of Alois's right ear, making the blonde shudder and moan in anticipation.

Putting a finger on his chin, Alois batted his eyelashes at Claude and wiggled his body underneath the heaving torso. Claude rolled his eyes and chortled. Laying down between the blonde's spread legs, he aligned his lips with Alois's.

"Then again," he whispered, placing his hands on either side of Alois's head. "Just don't. I like you when you're being the annoying idiot I know you are."

"Ey!" Alois's protest didn't carry when Claude pushed his tongue into the blonde's open mouth and crashed it against Alois's. Easing down, he pinned his blonde lover to the bed with his weight, making it impossible for him to wiggle away like he normally did. Alois loved to torture him by postponing sex when he was horny. It was one of his lesser traits but Claude swallowed it so to sheath his dick in Alois's glorious hole in the ending.

Like expected, Alois did try to wiggle away and did so by poking Claude's sides. He knew his boyfriend was very ticklish. This time, the older male just grabbed the blonde's wrists and pinned them to the bed above the younger male's head. He broke the kiss and tipped his head back.

"Not this time, baby," Claude growled, leaning down to kiss the set jaw of the blonde and nibble on the tendons of the shivering neck. "This time I won't play your games."

Easily holding the blonde's hands in place with one hand, Claude shifted until he was laying next to Alois so that he could undo his lover's pants.

Alois resisted, knowing that soon Claude would fuck him like a crazy person. He did not mind getting it hard, but he had hoped to get a little more foreplay. Claude saw the tears of frustration well up in the pale blue eyes and kissed one that rolled down Alois's cheek away.

"I'll let you suck me in the shower after this," he breathed in the blonde's ear and ripped the skinny jeans and purple boxers down to Alois's ankles. He propped up on his knees and moaned at the glorious arousal that, now freed from its cotton prison, flared up, precum leaking from the slit.

Alois groaned Claude's name when the older male bent down to give the glistening head a lick.

"Shit… Claude… mmm," Alois threw his head back, moaning gradually while his lover sucked on the leaking glans of his dick. He kicked his legs so wildly that the pants came off and the boxers slumped around one ankle.

Before the blonde could start pumping into his mouth, Claude pulled back and position himself between the quivering legs. He put one of said legs over his left shoulder and dragged his tongue over the pale and warm skin, showing his lover a little affection before he'd fuck him senseless.

Delighted by the sight, Claude pressed the thumb of his free hand against Alois's hole.

"You're already twitching, baby," he murmured, turning his thumb so it circled the muscle.

"Nnhh…" Alois sucked his lip between his teeth and made a guttural noise when Claude pushed the finger into the warm asshole.

"You sound so sweet, baby," Claude whispered. "Oh fuck, this sight is so gorgeous and your hole is so warm. It takes my breath away."

He made the blonde's body jerk when he roughly pushed his forefinger inside as well and fingered him rapidly, preparing him for his dick.

"Please Claude, I need to jerk off," Alois groaned, arching his body and wiggling his wrists to try and get some friction. Claude just grinned, enjoying the slow torture he was subjecting his lover to.

"No you don't," he declared, bending down and engulfing the twitching dick whole. Alois cried out, bucking his hips while Claude sucked hard on the throbbing cock. He bobbed up and let it go with a popping sound.

"Fuck… Claude," Alois squirmed underneath him, getting more aroused by the harsh way his boyfriend handled him. With the third finger that entered, Alois screamed his name. It bounced off the walls and nearly echoed through the enormous room.

"Stop… fuck… stop stalling and fuck me already!" Alois groaned through gnashed teeth.

Claude's lips curled into a brilliant smirk. He pulled his fingers out and made Alois crazy with arousal when he stuck them in his own mouth and moaned while licking them.

"Yes, your highness."

* * *

Bard turned the volume of his porn movie down and turned his head to the door. He heard a bell boy knock on Claude and Alois's door but it seemed like he wasn't getting any response.

"What's wrong baby?"

He dropped his chin to his chest and smiled at the golden eyes that blinked at him from below. With her lips pouted she asked if she wasn't pleasing him right.

"Nothing," he cupped the girl's chin and bent down to plant a kiss on her lips. "There's nothing, Ran-Mao. You are doing a fantastic job, babe."

"Better than Mey-Rin," she whispered, her eyes cheeky while she pressed Bard's dick between her breasts and slowly moved them up and down.

"Fuck yes," Bard groaned, throwing his head back and biting on the butt of the cigarette that hung loosely between his lips.

Even with Ran-Mao's soft and plump breasts sandwiching and cradling his dick, Bard couldn't concentrate with the bell boy banging on the door of the room opposite his. He exhaled a groan, straightened his head and gazed down on the girl that kneeled in front of him.

"I'm sorry, love, but will you excuse me while I go beat the snot out of that kid. He keeps me from focusing."

Ran-Mao sat back, placing her hands behind her so that she puffed her chest out. The lights that flickered on the screen cast shadows on the glorious mounts and had Bard's mouth watering. Reluctantly, he straightened his sweatpants and pushed himself up.

"Fuck… I'm a fucking idiot," he groaned when he loomed over Ran-Mao and saw her teasingly squeeze one of her full boobs.

"Don't get too carried away, I'll be right back," he declared, his eyes glued to the breasts and the hand that was massaging the left one.

"Hurry," she lisped softly. Bard nodded like an obeying dog and made a spurt for the door.

"What the fuck, dude," he screamed to the bell boy after he yanked the door open. "I'm trying to get fucking laid here and you're wailing is not helping."

The young boy swallowed and clasped his hands together in front of him.

"I am sorry, Sir," he peeped while bowing his head, his blonde locks covering his eyes. "I was send up to deliver this order but they won't open the door. Hotel policy tells me that I should keep trying until they open and receive their food."

Bard's eyes darted to the trolley and the expensive looking bottle of booze on it. A grin curled his lips and he reached in his pocket.

"I'll take care of it," he told the boy, pushing a ten dollar billet in his hands.

"I cannot do that, Sir. My boss will fire me if I do not deliver this personally."

"Don't sweat it, dude. The people who are staying in that room are friends of mine. I'll make sure they'll tell the manager that you delivered the order yourself."

"I don't know… Sir."

Bard sighed, reached into his pants again and stuffed another billet in the boy's hand.

"Come on, you won't get into trouble, trust me. I think you'll get into more trouble if you stay away this long just because they won't open the door. There are more guests that need to be tended too, right?"

The boy's body jerked. He straightened his back and nodded.

"You are correct, Sir. Thank you very much."

Bard waved it away. "Not a problem, dude. Leave it all to me."

He waited until the doors of the elevator had closed to make his move. He leaped forward and took the bottle from the silver bowl filled with ice. He wiped the moisture of the label and whistled.

"Bastards, ordering this shit on Sebastian's account," he whispered, grinning like a lunatic when he imagined the appreciation Ran-Mao would show when he turned up with this expensive champagne. He stepped forward and pounded on the door of his friends room.

"You guys, I'm taking your drink."

There was no response, and even if he wanted to go back to his room and get his reward for stealing that bottle of booze, he was actually worried about his friends.

"Assholes," he grumbled, taking the handle in his hand and yanking it down. Oblivious to the obvious, he opened the door with nothing but good intentions. Stepping over the threshold, both the bottle and his jaw dropped.

Claude was pounding into Alois, holding his ankles in the air to get a deeper angle. The blonde writhed with every deep stroke, moaning and groaning his arousal in deep, throaty growls while his nails scratched the flawless skin of his lover's ass.

"Mother-fucking-shitload. Goddamned bastards!"

Claude snapped his head to the door, stopped thrusting and arched an eyebrow at the blonde who was jumping around on one leg, holding his sore toe with one hand and trying to cover his eyes with the other.

"My eyes, fucking hell. It burns… ahhh!"

With a loud roar, the blonde fell backwards, hitting his head against the doorframe.

Alois, getting down from his fucking high when Claude stopped pounding into him, propped up on his elbows and giggled at the wailing and writhing blonde by the door.

"See, Bard does want to join," he joked, lovingly stroking Claude's toned torso. The older male seemed unmoved. His demeanor was stoic, except for the annoyed vein that pulsed on his forehead.

"You perverted motherfuckers," Bard snapped, getting on hands on knees and feeling around the carpet for the bottle of champagne. "I want to gouge my fucking eyes out."

Claude rolled his eyes at the melodramatic mess Bard had turned into and cursed under his breath. Alois enjoyed the torture of the blonde and pointed out to his lover that Bard, still on hands and knees, had taken the perfect position for Claude to fuck him.

"Shut the fuck up!" Bard screeched, his voice abnormally high while his fingers finally found the moist bottle he had been groping around for. "Put a fucking damned sock on the door next time like normal people."

"Don't try to steal our champagne next time… like normal people," Claude retorted irritated.

"I came here to tell you I was fucking taking it, and you guys… you… ugh, I can't even say it without throwing up a little in my mouth. Are you deliberately trying to make me temporarily incompetent."

"Yes… that's right. We're just fucking to provoke you," Claude grumbled. "In fact, we've been sitting on edge all night, waiting for the slight chance that you might knock on the door and annoy us with your heterosexual nonsense about women's boobs just because we love it so fucking much. Well, bravo idiot, you'll walk away a pissy little ingrate. Now you'll have an excuse why you once again didn't manage to get it up."

"Burn! Damn," Alois cheered, gently smacking Claude's bicep and squeezing it after. "You go, baby."

Claude tipped his head back, arrogance in the entire gesture and in the grin that curled his lips.

"No, I mean it baby," Alois spoke, drawing Claude's attention by digging his nails in the bare forearm of his lover. "Go on, fuck me," he writhed, rotating his pelvic bone and moaning when the still sheathed dick brushed his prostate. "I need to cum."

Claude's eyes dropped to the blonde underneath him and he groaned a low, guttural groan when he felt Alois's muscles clench his dick hard.

"Are you starting to get demanding, baby," he murmured, placing the legs over his shoulders and placing his hands on either side of Alois's body after.

"You sick, twisted perverts!" Bard exclaimed. "I'm still in the fucking room!"

Claude grabbed a cushion and torpedoed it Bard's way, hitting the blonde square in the face.

"Get-the-fuck-out!" He snarled in a vile tone that seemed to turn Alois on. He mewled under the harsh pressure Claude put on him while he started pounding in and out of him again, increasing tempo with every well aimed thrust.

Bard scrambled to his feet, snarled some more harsh words and quickly slithered out of the room before the next thing Claude threw, a remote control, could hit him in the face as well.

"Bah! Missed," Bard called from behind the door. Claude grabbed another pillow, aimed carelessly and launched it at the entrance. They heard Bard grumble curse words when the door hit him in the nose.

"Idiot," the older male cursed, putting his hand down next to the sweaty face of his lover. Alois grabbed his ass and squeezed it hard.

"Stop paying attention to that moron and start putting more effort into fucking me, you're slacking off and I do not approve of it," the blonde growled snide.

Claude smirked, a groan welling up in his chest when he saw the persistent need in Alois's pale blue eyes. His browns were mashed together in a determined frown and his nails dug deep into his flesh, leaving crescent moon imprints in the skin, emphasizing his persistence.

He arched his back a little, planting his dick deeper inside Alois's asshole. In this position, he could use the strength of his legs to pound in and out of Alois at such a maddening tempo that the blonde's hands uncurled from his ass and flailed aimlessly alongside his body and his blue eyes rolled in the back of his head.

Bending down, Claude sucked Alois's bottom lip between his own, sank his teeth in it and lapped at the quivering flesh after.

"Is this good, baby? Do you get a good feeling of me?"

"Nnhh… fuck… Claude," Alois writhed helplessly against his lover's deep and hard thrusts, involuntarily bucking his hips to another rhythm.

Claude grabbed Alois's hips, pressed his hands against the soft flesh and used the leverage to thrust harder into his lover.

Alois cried out hard, screaming his name and that he was about to come. When Claude saw the blonde's cock twitch and cum spurting from it, coating his lover's and his own chest, he came as well.

Leaning heavy on his hands, Claude panted while he milked his orgasm in slow and gentle strokes. Alois purred against the loving administration, wrapped his arms around his lover's neck and pulled him down onto his chest. Claude caved in willingly and placed his head in the junction of Alois's neck.

When Alois opened his mouth to speak, Claude reached up and put two fingers against the swollen lips to stop him.

"Please don't… it's good this way. Let me recharge before I fuck you in the shower."

Alois inhaled deep, kissed the fingertips and nodded obeying. With their breaths slowly evening out, both men sunk into a peaceful state of tranquility while they came back down from their shared high. With Alois stroking his hair, Claude fell asleep. Alois let him, knowing his lover had gave him his all and much more. He kissed his forehead, reached for the light and switched it off. Turning his head, his eyes registered the illuminated numbers on the alarm. Promising himself to wake Claude up in two hours, he fell asleep.

* * *

With every car that drove past the gates of his house, Sebastian got to his feet and stared out the window to see if the jeep of the Phantomhives was driving up his lane.

After the sixth time, he concluded that he was acting like a smitten teenager. He cursed, called himself ridiculous and combed his fingers through his hair. He sauntered back to his couch and sank down on it again. He switched from the cooking channel to the gay porn channel and turned up the volume. Sinking down into the soft cushions, he threw the remote on the table and flopped his feet down on it after.

His eyes darted to the ancient grandfather clock that the previous owners had left. It was softly ticking the time away and Sebastian wondered if he had even mention a point of time at which he expected Ciel to show up.

Reaching into his pocket, he checked his phone again. No missed calls. He reread the text message he had sent Ciel this afternoon. He got the address and instructions on how to get to his mansion correct. Grunting, he threw his phone away and crossed his arms.

"What the hell is taking him so fucking long," he groaned, his eyes staring holes in the noses of his worn sneakers.

He didn't feel like watching porn. In fact, he hadn't watched it ever since he had telephone sex with Ciel. He told himself it was because his mind was too occupied to drift off to mind numbing television, and he would never admit to himself that it was something else entirely.

"Damn this shit," he reached forward, grabbed his beer and the remote and started to flip through the channels. He passed stupid nighttime shows, video clips and endless crying of battered women on rewinds of Oprah. He tsked them all away, annoyed by the endless parade of stupid television. Before he finally settled on rewinds of Seinfeld, he turned his head to the door.

Standing up, he swore he could've heard something. He rounded the couch, walked into the hallway and unlocked the door. Opening it, Ciel nearly tumbled in. Sebastian could grab him before he fell face forward onto his hardwood floor.

"Thanks," Ciel muttered, standing back and straightening his grey cardigan. "What the fuck, I have been ringing your doorbell and pounding on your door for four minutes now, didn't you hear me?"

Sebastian placed his hand high on the frame and leaned against it.

"No, sorry… turned the volume up," his crimson eyes studied the younger male. "You're late, you know," he pointed out and tried to make it sound as indifferent as possible.

Ciel coughed and nodded. "I know, it was Rachel's fault. She insisted I went shopping with her."

Sebastian rolled his eyes and smirked. "Nice vest," he reached up to touch the shawl collar. "New?"

Ciel's cheeks colored a light shade of pink and he dipped his head to hide it. "I'm here to work on new lyrics, not to discuss fashion."

Sebastian threw his head in his neck and laughed. "You're absolutely right," he concluded, grabbing the door and fully opening it. "Come on in," he told him in a most inviting voice. "You brought the food?"

Ciel held up a brown paper bag and stepped over the threshold. He swallowed audibly and gazed left and right, slowly taking in his surroundings and the smells of the house.

Sebastian closed and locked the door again, stepped forward and made Ciel's body jerk when he placed a hand in the small of the younger male's back.

"Aren't we jumpy?" He winked and nodded to the door opposite them. "Let's go to the kitchen," he suggested while passing Ciel. "You want a beer?"

"Euhm, yeah," Ciel called from behind him, silently following him through the unknown surroundings. Sebastian pushed his back against the swing door to open it for Ciel.

"Take a seat," Sebastian gestured to the robust wooden table and the comfortable white leather armchairs. "What is your brand?"

Ciel walked to the table and put the bag down. Sebastian walked to a fridge on the other end of the large kitchen island.

"What you got?"

"Whatever you want," Sebastian bent over and studied his stock. "Heineken, Corona, Budweiser, Murphy's, some Belgium blonde beer."

Ciel walked to the island and leaned on the black marble countertop. "A Corona."

Sebastian retrieved two bottles and closed the door with his foot. He pulled his lighter from his pants and easily opened them. Walking over to the younger male, he shoved the cool drink his way.

Ciel picked up the moist bottle and drank eagerly. The tension between was so thick and present that he needed something to calm his nerves. Alcohol seemed like the most plausible option.

Sebastian arched an eyebrow at him, shook his head with a smirk and placed the glass against his lips. Tipping his head back, he relaxed his throat muscles and drank half of the bottle in one sip. A drop spilled from the corner of his mouth and ran down his chin. He saw Ciel's eye follow it as it steadily trailed down his neck. The younger male licked his lips and sucked the bottom one between his teeth.

Sebastian straightened his head and lowered the bottle, licking his own lips and tasting the remnants of beer that stuck to them. The sexual air was detectable and heat radiated from their bodies. Clearing his throat, Sebastian dragged them both back to reality and to the work that had to be done.

"… You brought the food," he murmured, his voice leaping from high to low after another clear of the throat. Ciel nodded, reached out and grabbed the bag. Emptying its contents on the counter, Sebastian couldn't help but smirk.

"For starters," Ciel shoved the products around. "Nachos and cheese sauce."

"Classic," Sebastian commented, making the younger male smirk. He reached forward and held up one of four cups.

"Main dish, instant noodles. Duck or shrimp flavor."

"Are there any other?" Sebastian declared with a soft chortle.

"And lastly, for tonight's dessert," Ciel grabbed a box and a container. "Oreo's and milk. Full fat, because I have to gain weight."

Sebastian nodded, his eyes gliding over the variety of supermarket bought foods.

"You do know how to spoil your dates, don't you?"

They both fell silent after Sebastian spoke the _d _word. The latter started combing his fingers through his hair and chortled softly.

"Another beer?" Sebastian suggested after several moments of silence.

"Yeah," Ciel told him, throwing the remainder of his old one back and handing the older male the empty bottle. Sebastian instructed him to sit down while he prepared the nachos. Without agreeing on it, both males knew this evening would not be as productive as it should've been.

* * *

"How about this?" Sebastian put his pencil down, took his guitar in hand and slowly strum the strings of his guitar while he sang the words he just wrote down.

Ciel sat back, hands behind his head while he listened to the raw voice with his eyes closed. He nodded along on the melody, shook his head and leaned forward.

"It's too serious, too complicated. The basics are good, but you need to simplify it. Country is about the simply things in live. Is about raw emotion. Songs about whiskey, open bars, girls named Mary and chicken."

"Chicken?"

"May I?" Ciel took the guitar from Sebastian's hands and hit the first accord. "Direct me to an open whiskey bar. I have been wrong before. But now my baby's gone up and running and she ain't coming back no more."

Sebastian nodded intrigued, turned the paper his way and altered his previous version.

"We can work with that. How about this?" He penciled down another four lines and shoved the paper Ciel's way.

Ciel smirked and nodded.

"Exactly, perfect," he hit the chord.

"Hold on a second," Sebastian raised his hand and stood. "Let me get something before you continue," he jogged out the kitchen. Ciel heard his footsteps go up the stairs and seconds later, they came down again.

"Here, let's see if that idea of yours works," Sebastian sank down, a vintage harmonica in hand. Ciel grinned and tipped his head back.

"Where did you get that? In the lockup?"

Sebastian grinned and cupped his palm over the instrument. "As a matter of fact, I did," he told him before placing the harmonica against his lips and producing one of the most distinguished sounds that separated Country from all other music.

"Woke up to a vacant bed, your stuff was gone. You told me that I had to change and babe you weren't wrong. We need cash, you worked so hard but I drank it all in one. Now, the screen door slammed, you walked away, without as much as a goodbye. I'm sitting here, staring at your lipstick on a burned out cigarette and with my throat running dry. Tell me where did the whiskey go, I don't remember drinking it all. I've been drinking for four days straight. Ever since my baby's gone."

Sebastian lowered his harmonica, a wide smirk curling his lips.

"That sounded very good. You've got a good voice, you know. Perhaps we should do a duet."

"I don't sing," Ciel stated shortly, picking his bottle of beer up and throwing the remainder back.

"Another one? I think we deserved it," Sebastian got to his feet and stretched. Ciel's eye peered at the bit of bare skin he saw peeking from under the baseball shirt. A fine stripe of black hair ran from his naval and disappeared in the boxers that peeked above worn jeans. He bit the inside of his cheek not to groan at the sight of the toned abs and came out disappointed when Sebastian walked to the fridge.

"I'm clear out of Corona. Shy from the Belgium beer which I now assume is Claude's, you want Bud or Heineken?" Sebastian placed his hand on the counter while he bent down to sort through the brands of beer.

Ciel slowly rose to his feet and soundlessly rounded the kitchen island. He felt Sebastian's body jerk when he placed his hand over his, bent over to align his chest with Sebastian's back and breathed in his ear.

"I want you…"

* * *

SO. I enjoyed my little Alois/Claude fuck rampage. Enjoyed Bard walking in on them even more so. Although, Claude passing out on Alois's chest was kind of sweet in a not Claude way as well.

Review, my loves. Give me that sweet motivation. Review this and hurry your pretty tight asses to the Circus after this, the Undertaker awaits you, and I can tell that he's not the Guinness loving bartender like he is here.

I'm out, Dutch Gin-ing and talking to my Sean-chan on Facebook. Want to join in the stupid Gin fun, add me at

facebook . com vanBarnett ? ref = tn _ tnmn

Thanks for reading, Period!


	10. Act 23

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

I wasn't going to post this chapter. I am god darn serious. I was moping and skulking around my office, being pissed off at the low rate of reviews I got on both TCM and this. I wanted to leave a message saying I was going off the radar for a while to rethink why the fuck I actually update this shit if nobody really bothers to review it...

_Then it hit me and it hit me hard!_

J.M. Tatum is a God...

No, seriously... I figured, as long as I do this to get all this shit off my mind and for those sweet people who are here to support me all the way through, why punish them for all those who read, favorite/alert but not review? Besides, having over 13.000 chapter reads in one month has to count for something too, right?

So, here it is - something that we all wish would happen between Sebastian and Ciel in TCM but becomes reality in this. I want to give this chapter to two people that are very close to me and who have a special place in my heart and mind when I write this smut.

Michelle - Bambi, thanks for being a stupid bitch that makes me laugh, even though this will get us into shit, you're a wonderful person. Do not lose sight of that, no matter what happens! J'adore, ma ami. Ik hou van je en laat _het_ je niet gek maken... alsjeblieft.

Julie - I love you, Je t'aime, Ti amo, Aishite iru, taisetsu! Good God woman, you are probably the sole reason this chapter has a Leonard Cohen reference and you know it! I hope you enjoy it and will pre-read many more of my chapters.

Now, onto taming this bitch than!

Enjoy!

O.

* * *

Time seemed to stop for a moment. Everything gradually slowed down until it froze in the momentum that Ciel had created with those seductive three words. Sebastian's eyes zeroed in on the bottles in the fridge. The moisture trickled leisurely down the glass and was in sharp contrast to his throat that did not produce any saliva at all. He felt an aching throb in his pants and rendered himself an easy target to Ciel's temptation.

He felt the nearness of the heaving chest. Of the warmth that radiated of the younger male's body. It was unsettling and comforting at the same time. His sensible _and_ senseless self wanted to roughly shove the kitchen necessities off the countertop and ravish Ciel on it. So, he tried to imagine what Claude would say to him in a situation like this. Nothing useful sprung to mind, only some vague accusations of him being in love with Ciel which seemed ridiculous.

"Sebastian?"

Ciel's voice was husk, laced with sex and longing. It provoked another painfully desirous throb in the older male's pants and overloaded his mind with sinful images. Rationalizing the situation was pointless. It wasn't rational, it was sex. Rough and animalistic appetite for dick.

Sebastian swallowed audibly. He felt the hairs in the back of his neck stand up while Ciel breathed down it, his vaporous exhales tickling Sebastian's skin. The coolness of the open fridge was to little avail as the younger male bent down further, pressing his chest against Sebastian's back and slowly reaching around.

"I want you, Sebastian," Ciel whispered again, his slender fingers hooking behind his jeans and unbuttoning it with one strong tug.

Sebastian swallowed again and turned his head to look over his shoulder. Ciel's visible eye was brilliantly blue and it shimmered brightly, even in the dim light of the kitchen. Sex was in the air and it reflected in his lidded eye. With his lips slightly parted, Ciel leaned in and brushed his mouth over Sebastian's.

"Let me have you," he whispered against the trembling lips. "Give me all of you."

Another audible take in to mask the submissive moan that welled up deep inside Sebastian's chest. He produced a taunting smirk and gave Ciel a short nod.

"That can be arranged."

Ciel answered the smirk with one of his own. It was so fucking seducing, seeing his lips curl into a wicked smirk that suited his subtle search for dominance in their affair. It enamored Sebastian with such immoral longing that he surprised the younger male by turning and pushing him against the kitchen island.

When Ciel opened his mouth to speak, Sebastian prevented him by bending down and slipping his tongue between the parted lips. He felt the younger male smirk against his mouth, against him desperately grinding his erected cock against younger male's hip.

Sebastian sucked Ciel's bottom lip between his own and bit down on it. He wanted to taste every inch of this man's skin. He wanted to map every single imperfection with his fingertips. Ciel turned him on in ways he once held impossible.

His hands automatically reached under Ciel's shirt, carelessly brushing his digits over the flawless skin. Feeling his way up, he made the young male moan by subtly flicking his fingers over the nipples, making them hard instantly.

He tipped his head back, breaking the kiss and gratefully taking in the sight of the blushing younger male. Ciel's lidded eye stared up at him, looking daring in his crimson orbs, silently provoking a reaction from Sebastian.

He bend down again, captured the swollen lips and eagerly suckled the younger male's tongue in his mouth and brushed it with his own, moaning while doing so.

* * *

Ciel grabbed the front of the baseball shirt with one hand, and absentmindedly brushed the small of Sebastian's back with the other. The skin felt pleasantly warm against his trembling fingers. His entire body quivered under the older male's natural and unforced skills, and he felt holes in his own fumbling tactics of seduction. Even if he started seducing Sebastian, he now felt horribly surrendered to his moves. _He felt… he felt…_

Ciel broke the kiss, an involuntary yelp escaping his lips. Sebastian arched an eyebrow at him, his expression puzzled while Ciel stared shocked in his crimson eyes.

"I felt something brushing against my leg."

Sebastian's initial reaction to snort and tell him that it was his erected dick got interrupted by another shriek from the younger male, screaming there it is again. He felt him cramp up against his body, his eyes frantically shooting left and right so he wouldn't have to look down.

Both intrigued and annoyed, Sebastian dipped his head. A chortle escaped his lips when he saw the cause of Ciel's convulsion.

He leaned in. "Relax, baby," he whispered against the younger male's lips. "It's my cat."

Ciel stared at him like he suddenly grew a horn or spoke in tongues.

"Your cat?" He blurted after a moment, dipping his chin to his chest and blinking at the animal. It was pitch black with one white spot on the tip of its tail and a chunk out of its ear. It mewed, blinking up at Ciel and seemingly as surprised and curious about him as Ciel was about it.

"You have a cat?" Ciel stated in the same questioning manner as before. Sebastian nodded and reached down and picked the purring animal up.

Ciel wrinkled his nose and secretly envied the beast when it got to lick Sebastian's face. He saw the affection in the crimson eyes and wished Sebastian would look at him with the same endearment as he did the animal.

"What's its name," Ciel asked, trying to show interest in the pestering thing that got between him and a good fuck on the countertop.

"Bard," Sebastian stated shortly, scratching the cat behind its ear.

"Bard? How fucking lame," Ciel continued, losing more interest in the animal while it gazed at him through squinted eyes. The yellow orbs seemed to mock him, telling him that it was closer to Sebastian than he would ever be. Ciel shook his head, disregarding to ridiculous thought and reached out to pet the monster. It let him, but not without its eyes suspiciously following his hand while Ciel fingered the soft fur absentmindedly.

"What kind of a name is that?" Ciel ridiculed in a bored tone of voice.

As if Bard knew he was being mocked, it reached out its neck and gave Sebastian's jaw line another lick before settling its head in the junction of its owner's neck. Its yellow eyes gazed at Ciel and silently bantered him.

"I named him after a friend of mine. It suited him because they're both idiots," Sebastian declared, taking an air kneading paw in his hand and gently caressing the soft pink pads.

A memory he had pushed to the back of his mind, worked its way to his rational thinking again and Ciel found himself jealous while he asked. "That friend of the other night?"

Sebastian mashed his brows together and briefly looked up at the younger male. "What do you mean?"

Ciel shrugged, stood back and crossed his arms. Everything to look as indifferent as possible in his internal rant.

"You know, that guy that was over when we were on the phone."

"Claude?"

"No… obviously not. That one time when we…" He bit on his bottom lip and found himself near to unable to utter the words out loud when he was face to face with Sebastian.

"That time we what?" Sebastian repeated, faking ignorance or actually really clueless about what Ciel meant.

At last, Ciel dropped his shoulders with a sigh and snapped at him.

"Sex! When we were having telephone sex," he blurted out, his tone harder than he had intended on while he threw his arms in the air in frustration.

Sebastian, taken aback for a moment, mashed his brows together again and seemed to think about the sudden outburst.

"Yes, I suppose Bard was here," he finally admitted, little to no remorse in his voice or expression. "He has been staying with me since I came to Memphis."

Ciel stared blank at the serene face. There was no trace of regret about the words he just spoke. Sebastian was just petting the cat, whispering soft words while his long fingers stroke the soft fur of the purring animal.

"Something wrong?"

The words dragged Ciel out of his shameful thoughts. He let his arms dangle alongside his body and leaned back against the kitchen island.

"Nothing," he murmured, his eyes avoiding to make any further contact with Sebastian's.

"Did I say anything to upset you?" He asked on, his tone a little more persistent this time. He stopped stroking the cat and put it down on the ground again.

Ciel smiled satisfied when he saw the animal push its head against Sebastian's leg but did not get the attention it wanted. Sebastian's undivided attention now lay with the young man and the cat didn't seem to like it one bit as it curled around those godly legs, mewling and purring. After a moment of basking in that triumph, Ciel realized he was competing with a cat for Sebastian's undivided attention and affection and how pathetic this was.

"No, it's nothing," Ciel murmured, glaring up at him from below.

Sebastian studied him with suspicion, seemingly determining if he was going to take that as an answer or ask on. Instead, his attention was drawn back to the cat as the mongrel sat in front of the backdoor and mewed plaintively.

Complying to the demands of his pet, Sebastian left the tension that had been building up between them and walked to the backdoor to open it and let the animal venture into the dark backyard. A gush of the mercilessly cold September wind blew through the tiny opening and made Ciel shiver.

Sebastian closed the door, locked it and turned back to the younger male. When he spoke, he finally said the words Ciel longed to hear.

"Bard is just a friend of mine. He is one hundred percent straight and is a homophobic. I really just named him after him because they're both idiots and Bard gave him to me to keep me company."

Ciel felt the weighed that had been pressing down on him being lifted and evaporate in the air, along with the balloon of unspoken words of hurt and accusations that had been looming over them like a four hundred pound gorilla. Now, the kitchen was silent, shy for the wind that howled around the estate.

* * *

Visibly, Sebastian saw the muscles in Ciel's face relax. Along with it, his sensuality returned, especially when he dropped his shoulders, curled his fingers around the countertop and angled his head so that he could look him in the eye.

"So," the younger male began, his eye dropping to stare at Sebastian's lips.

Sebastian combed his fingers through his hair and repeated Ciel, swallowing right after to try and lubricate his dry throat. Even without seducing passes, the sex was already tangible again now that Ciel had dropped his defenses.

Time seemed to catch up with them again and made Sebastian aware of everything. He saw the spots on his stove he had to clean. The refrigerator was still open and he could smell the trash way over by the door, but the thing that was most notable was Ciel. The vast bulge in his pants. The navy locks that fell in his eye. The way his body language screamed sex without being overly obvious. The manner in which in lips curled into that seductive smirk he now knew and had grown to appreciate on so many different levels.

As if the navy haired male noticed him reflecting the situation, he slowly hopped onto the counter and hunched over, his hands laced together and his sweater falling open. The nonchalance of the entire gesture made Sebastian all the more enamored and enchanted by the young vision.

He slowly moved over, once again sucked into a momentum solely created by the gleam in Ciel's brilliant blue eye. Somewhere in the back of his mind he heard a melody. It felt like the biggest cliché, and he didn't even know if it was real or if his brain was willing him to hear those words, but as he pushed himself between Ciel's legs and pressed his hands under the chiseled jaw, he sang the words against the younger male's lips, regardless of whether the song was in his head or not.

"He drew me to my countertop. He taunts my logic and hates my cat. And from my lips he drew the hallelujah."

Ciel's lips twitched and he chuckled softly while Sebastian easily twisted the words to match their current situation perfectly.

"Is that song playing in my head, or not?" Sebastian murmured, his mouth brushing over Ciel's.

The younger male shook no and curled his fingers around the cool countertop.

"Good," Sebastian spoke on, his lips barely against Ciel's while his fingertips pressed on the toned thighs of the younger male. "That would've been such a cliché," he declared with a soft chuckle.

Ciel tipped his head back a little to look Sebastian in the eye. There were so many emotions in his expression that it was haunting. His eyes were lusty, hungry to sink his teeth into the delicious flesh of Ciel's neck, but the frown that had his brows mashed together was tortured and guilt written.

"I somehow suspect that you are trying to stall things," Ciel concluded, his voice solid and non-accusing and in strong conflict with the pain he felt inside that he might end up getting rejected.

Sebastian inhaled and dropped his chin to his chest while exhaling. He nodded, his eyes making an extensive study of their bare feet. His hand reached up and combed through his raven locks again while he put the other next to Ciel's thigh on the cool counter.

"I suppose I am," he admitted while slowly tilting his head. "We still have a lot of work to do and if we give into this temptation now, I am sure all our good resolutions will have dissolved before…"

Sebastian's eyes widened and his body jerked when Ciel grabbed his collar, pulled him in and slipped his tongue between the parted lips, silencing him with ease and wickedly using Sebastian's own move against him.

His assumptions were correct, and soon enough, Sebastian pushed the slender body of Ciel down, capturing him between the cold marble and his heaving torso. Their tongues both battled for dominance and submitted just as eagerly.

"Shit," Ciel sucked a breath of air through his teeth while Sebastian trialed his lips down the younger male's chin and suckled on the brocade soft skin of Ciel's throat.

His fingers did not fumble long with the buttons of Ciel's pants, and after he had removed the jeans and boxers, he also peeled the sweater off the younger male's body.

Ciel lay there, completely naked, his dick fully erected and leaking precum. Sebastian forced himself to stand back for moment and ravish him with his eyes, making a mental image for when the boy wasn't around.

He seemed to know no shame and spread his legs a little further, putting one foot down on the cold counter while a daunting smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth and forced his eyes and cheeks to join as well. Pushing a hand in his hair, Ciel set his jaw and stared straight into Sebastian's crimson eyes. They seemed conflicted between staring at the jerking cock or the daring grin on the younger male's lips.

"You like what you see?" Ciel asked frankly, rolling his hips a little to lure a deep growl from the older male's lips when he saw the seductive move.

Sebastian placed his hands on the naked flesh of the firm thighs, parted them further and bent down. His eyes did not leave Ciel's face when he nudge the leaking dick with his nose. Ciel inhaled sharp and let out a loud cry when Sebastian swallowed the dick whole, his tongue gradually lapping at the shaft.

"…Nnhh, fuck," Ciel knotted a hand in the raven locks and forced Sebastian's had back. Blinking surprised at the younger male, Sebastian silently demanded an answer. He got it soon enough and it introduced a whole new level of arousal to the experienced older male.

"Fuck that shit… I want you to fuck me, now," the navy haired male demanded.

Sebastian didn't give hesitation a second thought, straightened his back and grabbed Ciel's wrist. Easily pulling the shorter male to his feet with one hand, he pulled his throbbing cock out of his boxers with the other.

Not bothering with preparing Ciel, unable to contain himself and knowing Ciel would only slap his good intentions away, Sebastian shoved his arm under one of the younger males legs and positioned his cock at the waiting hole.

Hesitation took the better of him for a moment, but the persistent writhing and moaning of Ciel encouraged Sebastian and he made Ciel cry out his name when he pushed his dick into the tight asshole.

"Fuck… fuck… FUCK," Ciel threw his head back, one hand clawing hopelessly at the smooth counter and the other squeezing Sebastian's shoulder. Sebastian didn't waste his effort on letting Ciel get used to the full force and size of his thick and long dick. As soon as it was fully sheathed, he shoved his arm under the other leg and easily lifted Ciel into the air and pinning him even further on his cock.

"Shit… nnnhhaa… Sebastian," Ciel wrapped both his arms around the older male's shoulders and moaned and cried, using the little friction he could manage to slam his hips down to meet Sebastian's hard and deep thrusts.

"…You like it hard, don't you baby?" Sebastian spat through gritted teeth, his fingers digging deep into the soft flesh of Ciel's hips.

Ciel could only nod, guttural groans bursting from his lips while Sebastian's dick brushed past his prostate with every well aimed plunge.

"Fuck, Sebastian… fuck… shit," Ciel threw his head in his neck, his mouth hanging open and producing nothing but harsh swear words while he cried out his arousal at the sound of their flesh slamming together. Sebastian let go of one hip, leaned against the counter and easily flopped Ciel down on it.

Ciel felt and heard the dick plop out of him and was gravely disappointed and extremely turned on by it at the same time. The sloppy sound it made send new desire soaring through his entire body and made his toes curl.

Sebastian climbed on top of him, wrapped an arm around his waist and roughed wiped everything that was in his way off the counter. They heard bowls shatter to pieces, the harsh cloink as an espresso machine and mixer crashed onto the hard wood floor and the sizzling of booze that spurted out of broken bottles. Neither cared for it as Sebastian placed Ciel on the middle of the counter, roughly spread his legs and pushed his cock inside the still gaping hole in one swift move.

Ciel placed his feet against Sebastian's strong thighs, and Sebastian used his bended knees as leverage to pump harder and deeper into the gloriously warm and tight hole.

"Fuck… shit… nnha… Sebastian," Ciel moaned, his fingernails digging into the bare forearms of the older male while he almost effortlessly increased his tempo with every plunge. "I'm going to come soon… nnhh… fuck."

Sebastian took the writhing and gasping in with a wicked smirk, loving that his fucking had created a deep blush on Ciel's pale cheeks. His eyes slowly sank down the body and swallowed it all up with deep admiration. The erratically heaving chest. The pert pink nipples. The shadow of the barely showing indentations of his abs. The flailing dick, aimlessly flopping and down, leaking tons of precum and unable to get into the rhythm of the strong thrusts of the older male.

Caught by surprise, Ciel cried out and came hard, spurting over his own chest and Sebastian's hand when he gave the younger male's dick one firm jerk. He writhed and moved helplessly, semen shooting out of the slit of his cock and coating his stomach with its thick and warm white fluid. Some drops even managed to reach his cheeks.

He screamed Sebastian's name over and over, his body jerking uncontrollably in the longest orgasm he ever endured. Somewhere in the midst of it, he could see an alternation in Sebastian's eyes and they shifted from complete in control and focused to hazed and lidded while he too came, filling Ciel with his cum and milking it is long and deep strokes while he growled like an animal in heat, hotly repeating Ciel's name.

Panting, their chests heaving heavily, both males basked in the high of their orgasms. Sebastian hovered over him, leaning on his arms so he wouldn't crush Ciel under his toned torso. The muscles in his arms were trembling from all the effort and devotion he had put into fucking Ciel. He heaved his head and smiled at the purring younger male who gently rotated his hips, softly clenching down on the dick that was still securely sheathed inside him.

Sebastian bent down, lips against Ciel's ear while he told him he purred like a newborn kitten. An involuntarily yelp ripped from his lips when the younger male flung his arms around his shoulders and yanked him down. Ciel huffed at the sudden weighed that crashed onto his slender body, but soon, he felt warm and loved under the impressive body of Sebastian.

Absentmindedly, they promised each other that they would start writing the next song as soon as they had both recovered their strength. But, after their breaths had evened out, a passionate kiss was shared and the table served as their next bedding, with Ciel having one leg flung over Sebastian's shoulder and one hand clenching the muscular upper arm of Sebastian and the other leaning heavy on the table to keep himself standing.

Before leaving the kitchen to fuck somewhere more comfortable, Sebastian had pressed Ciel up against the cold window, and with the younger male's legs wrapped around his waist, he pumped into him at an enslaving slow and deep tempo that had Ciel mewling like a tomcat in heat.

Sebastian did notice the shimmering of the yellow eyes and saw Bard stand up against the window, its expression almost puzzled as it turned its head left and right, studying them with contemplation. The minor distraction was answered by Ciel clenching his dick so hard that Sebastian winched in both pain and need.

The evening ended on the couch, Ciel bended face forward over the back and Sebastian massaging his hips while he fucked him senseless, smacking the younger male's ass and spreading it further with his hands.

* * *

Broken and about to fall down, Sebastian scooped the tired Ciel in his arms and rounded the bench. He placed the younger male on the comfortable pillows, pulled a quilt from a nearby chair and covered him with it. After, he sat at Ciel's feet and indulged himself with a well deserved smoke. With the cigarette hanging loosely between his lips, he couldn't help but smile when he felt the bare foot of Ciel nudge him. He turned his head to the younger male and saw him lift the blanket and pat on the empty spot next to him. Ignoring his rational thinking and the morals Claude had forced onto him, Sebastian put the cigarette out in a glass ashtray on the coffee table, crawled over on hands and knees and flopped down on the couch.

Ciel covered him, took the older male's arm and draped it around his fragile shoulders while he made him comfortable against the warm body, his head nestled in the junction of Sebastian's neck. He licked the jaw line, claiming it as his own again and nuzzled Sebastian's throat with his nose after. He felt Sebastian's hand grip his hip and turn his body a little more so that their dicks aligned and teasingly brushed against each other. It made them both chortle at their extending need to touch each other.

"Good night, Sebastian," Ciel breathed, closing his eyes.

Carrying on the path of iniquity, Sebastian pressed his lips against Ciel's forehead to kiss it.

"Good night, Ciel."

* * *

Claude's eyes cracked open and he bounced up in the bed. His eyes stared into the intense darkness of the room, his chest heaving heavily while he pushed a hand in his hair and tried to remember the thought that had penetrated his dream.

"Baby?" He felt Alois's hand as it comfortingly crept up his back. The blonde sat up and studied his profile. "Something wrong? You had a nightmare or something?" He soothingly placed his head on the strong shoulder and stroke Claude's bicep.

"Sebastian has fucked Ciel," he growled through clenched jaws. "I just fucking know it."

Alois snorted annoyed, removed his head from the shoulder and fell back into the pillows. "You're a fucking idiot," he snarled while turning on his side and curling his arm around his fluffy pillow.

"I just know it. I have this feeling. I told him not to do it..." Claude fumed on.

"Freak," Alois declared, closing his eyes and arching his back so his ass nudged Claude's thigh. Claude pushed it away, put his hand down behind Alois's back and hoovered over him.

"We need to do something about this before it goes too far."

Alois wrinkled his nose and waved it away. "Good luck scheming, I am going back to sleep."

"Alois, don't you care about the band?"

"Not at four in the morning, I don't. Go to sleep, you idiot."

Claude shook his head. "No, not before we have done something about it. This is serious!"

Alois growled, flipped over on his back and pressed his hands against Claude's cheeks and pulled him down to meet his lips.

"What are you doing?" Claude grumbled against the moist lips. Alois smirked and ran his tongue over Claude's mouth.

"Doing something about it," he murmured and silenced Claude by slipping his tongue between the parted lips of the older male.

Protesting would be to little avail, so Claude sighed delighted, wrapped his arms around Alois and let the blonde pull him against his body for the promised sexual relaunch. Neither Sebastian nor Ciel mattered while he devoted himself to letting the blonde take over his mind and cloud it in a orgasmic haze.

* * *

Fuck, shit, ass, bugger and tits. So much sex, I loved it and I hope you did too! Julie, you actually gave me that wonderful idea of having J. narrating the lines in my head and I just got so bothered and hot that I had to stop teasing myself and focus on dividing this bitch in paragraphs.

Now, you all be good puppies and give me some good reviews. I don't want to sink into that horrible place called 'self pity' again. It is not my color and it makes me hate myself on so many levels. I don't want to become one of those whining bitches that threatens not to update if no-one reviews.

So, if you love me and all that I give to you, give me something to fondle over. See it as free charity.

Thank you for reading. Period!


	11. Act 29

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

_[CLAUDE SPIDEY SENSE! He he, tiny reference to let you know we're still playing with the Kuro universe here...]_

I can say so many things, but they will all be mediocre when I try to explain how I feel. Thank you... all of you, from the bottom of my cramping heart. I was so overjoyed by all your sweet reviews and encouragements that I am almost afraid to post this chapter, knowing it might never top the previous one.

I... oh man, I am speechless. That is what I am. Wordless - baffled, a writer lost for words to describe the love I feel for all of you right now.

I got so many loving words that I cannot even fathom where to begin thanking all of you. The best I heard was that my writing spiked up sex lives again, I think that is the biggest compliment anyone could ever pay me.

Furthermore, 1cm3, I would be deeply honored if you would draw fan art. I think I will cry of joy, no matter the outcome. I will post it on my facebook page and deviant, proudly!

And Julie, my sweet and loving Julie... your undying support, hugs and drunken review got me so hot and bothered. I love you, you and your gorgeous family! Tell him I updated the shit out of this bitch and added smut, especially for you two. Enjoy it.

Please, do me the pleasure once more of lending me your ear and letting me whisper words of smut in it...

Enjoy!

O.

_Spelling check will follow, once I am not whisky-ed up!_

* * *

It was strange, sitting at the breakfast table, knowing what they had done on that exact same table the night before.

Ciel had woken up early, watched Sebastian sleep for a few minutes with the most impossibly wide smile curling his lips until he realized how freaky it must look if Sebastian suddenly woke up with him grinning and staring at him like a deranged fan.

So, he got up and tiptoed to the kitchen. Concluding that there was no real food to speak off other than large quantities of moonpies, salt & vinegar potato chips and some stale loops, Ciel hopped into his car and drove to the deli he had spotted driving over here last night. He didn't bother with showering, secretly hoping Sebastian would propose to do it together. Furthermore, he loved the strong scent of sex that stuck to him, deciding there was no cologne in the world that could parallel the arousing tanginess of it.

Now, they sat across from each other, impossible amounts of macaroons, croissants and fresh juice on the table between them and each their foot nestled between the other's legs, cradling the other's dick.

Sebastian looked cool and collected as he leaned back, hands behind his head while he sucked on the butt of the cigarette that loosely hung between his lips. Ciel watched him through a lidded eye, sucking his bottom lip between his teeth and bucking his hips into the soft strokes of Sebastian's foot. It was such an absurdly sexy sight to see, that he had to evoke on all his self control not to wipe the food off the table and drag Sebastian across it to continue fucking him on the floor.

His hand hung absentmindedly next to his body, and Ciel didn't even mind that Bard's head pushed against it, asking for his attention. He didn't like cats one bit, he was more a dog person, and not even in terms of having one rather than just the idea of having a companion that would stand by you.

"What are you thinking about?"

Ciel's lips curled into a smile at the random collection of words.

"You, fucking me on this floor," he told him, translating his thoughts perfectly and without shame.

Sebastian smirked, took the cigarette from his lips and huffed out a cloud of smoke.

"I think we can work out something," he whispered, taking a sip from the juice he had spiked with whisky and sucking air through his teeth in a hot hiss when Ciel's toes curled around the band of his boxers and started to peel them down.

Before either could make the first move to shove the breakfast necessities off the table, they heard the squeaking of brakes and car wheels skidding on the drive. Frowning at each other, Sebastian heard the lock click.

"Babies, mom and dad are home!" Alois nearly sang, bouncing into the hall. "So put your dicks away and straighten up, daddy's not in a good mood," he commented on, rolling his eyes while Claude charged for the kitchen.

Sebastian sat back in his chair, crossing his arms and tipping his head back when Claude stormed into the kitchen, snorting and panting like a wild animal while his eyes shot from one to the other.

"What did you two do," Claude growled, waving an accusing finger at them. "No," he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Don't tell me, I know perfectly damn well what you two did, and I also remember having a conversation about this with you," his eyes landed on Sebastian

"Hello to you too. And sure, it was my pleasure to pay for that too expensive hotel," Sebastian commented in a sarcastic tone of voice, ignoring the layer of foam that formed on Claude's lips.

"Good morning, children," Alois sang as he walked into the kitchen and instantly stopped in his trail, sticking his nose in the air and sniffing.

"I smell sex," he stated bluntly, fanning more anger in Claude and draining all the blood from Ciel's already pale cheeks. His blue eyes darted to the navy haired male and a smirk curled his lips. Slithering over, he sank into the chair next to Ciel, propped his elbows up on the table and laced his fingers under his chin.

"So, who fucked who? Was it as good as it smells? May I?" He leaned in and inhaled the scent of Ciel's neck. Sighing delighted, he sat back and offered the puzzled male a warm smile.

"Delicious. Come on," he nudged Ciel's side. "Spill the details. I want to know everything."

"Alois, shut-the-fuck-up," both Sebastian and Claude growled, staring each other deadly in the eye.

The blonde took note of the aggressive testosterone tension in the room. He pinched his lips for a moment, sighed and pushed himself up. Taking several of the multi colored macaroons, he asked Ciel to join him outside for a moment. Viewing his options, the navy haired male agreed and followed the blonde out, his head hanging in shame as if his parents walked in on him fucking.

* * *

Once they sat on the wooden bench on the back porch, Alois launched all sorts of questions at Ciel. The latter responded absentmindedly, his eyes trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on inside.

"What was that about?" He finally asked, temporarily rendering Alois speechless.

The blonde shrugged nonchalant, reached into his checked shorts and produced a joint. Not knowing what kind of state he would find Sebastian back in, Ciel took it from Alois's fingers when he offered it to him. He coughed loudly, feeling his lungs spasm at the strong inhale.

"What the fuck is Claude's problem with Sebastian and me, fucking?" Ciel wheezed between coughs.

Alois took the joint from his hand, patted him on the back and sucked on the stick.

"He doesn't have a real problem with you two fucking, or being together for that matter. We talked about it last night and he had some really insightful worries about the tabloid, and something about bridges and truth… meh, I don't remember his exact words but it all came down to him being worried what the media would do to break the two of you up, hence, breaking the band up."

Ciel nodded, taking the joint and inhaling a little more shallow.

"So it has nothing to do with him secretly being in love with Sebastian?" He slapped his hand over his mouth and condemned himself for translating his worries to Claude's lover.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, the words muffled by the skin of his palm. Alois chuckled and shook his head, slapping the hand away from Ciel's mouth.

"No need to feel ashamed because that is a very real concern. Everybody is in love with that hot piece of ass, hell, I am even in love with him. That man is so gorgeous it's almost painful to look at. Besides, they have been lovers in the past, so… I can understand your concern."

Ciel narrowed his eyes and studied the blonde's profile. "You're not bothered by that?"

Alois shook his head, blowing out a huff of smoke. "No… I think it's hot. They're both too good looking for this world. It should be illegal," he tipped his head back and studied the two through the window. "They make a gorgeous couple, fighting," Alois commented randomly.

Ciel turned his head and agreed with a bothered nod. Even if he didn't want to think about it, Alois was completely right.

"They would have pretty babies together," Alois continued, spacing out from his joint.

Ciel twitched and shook his head with a chortle. "I would not go that far," he murmured, turning to the relaxed blonde. Alois leaned his head back against the bench and stared at the concrete underside of the upper balcony.

"How long have you and Claude been together?"

The blonde narrowed his eyes while he thought about it for a moment.

"It's close to six years now," he finally concluded, smiling at the idea of it.

"What makes you want to stay with him? It cannot be his sunny personality," Ciel asked, bothered that Sebastian didn't even fathom the idea of starting a relationship.

Alois sucked and bit at the butt of the joint. "I love him… even despite his stoic bastard act. Besides, he promised me to marry me one day and I like that idea."

Ciel chortled, gazing up at the blonde from below. "I hope you do realize that that's not legal here. Not to shatter your dream or demolish Claude's promise or anything…"

"I know that, I'm not an idiot," Alois scoffed, softly smacking Ciel's shoulder. "That's why he promised to take me to Amsterdam once we're ready to get married."

Ciel sat up, now genuinely interested. He could already imagine but shook the thought of him and Sebastian in Amsterdam, exchanging vows. It was ridiculous and he hated the idea of himself as an enamored, amorous teenager, pining for his lover to get down on one knee.

"You know," Alois shifted in his seat and pulled his knees underneath him. "Apparently, they have this sex museum in Amsterdam. I want to get married there," he giggled.

Ciel snorted and rolled his eyes with a wide smile. "Trust me, I've been there with my parents and it was one big disappointment. You'd be better off marrying at the Tuschinski theater or on one of those tourist boats in the canals."

Alois's eyes widened and he shoveled forward. "You've been to Amsterdam? God, I love it. I've never been but it has always been my dream to go there. Do you know that they have this legal drugs policy and that they eat these weird things with their French fries. Some form of fried and crunchy dough stuffed with meat. Or these long meaty things that look like a horse's shlong… I so want to go."

The backdoor opened and Sebastian placed his palm high on the frame, staring at the two younger males that were laughing on the bench. As if Ciel felt his presence, he snapped his head up and offered him a broad smile.

"I'm going to jump into the shower," he told the navy haired male and jerked his head to the second floor. "Care to join me?"

Ciel momentarily turned his head to Alois. The blonde stared deadpanned back and gave him a shove. "Go, you idiot! What the hell are you looking at me for? Go fuck and make me proud."

Ciel grinned wide, stood and wobbled to the backdoor. Sebastian's eyes followed the staggering and slow moves. Adding that to the goofy smile on Ciel's lips, he concluded his fears to be true. He snatched Ciel's arm, pulled him into his chest and glared daggers at the blonde.

"You let him smoke that commoners shit?" He hissed snide, malicious lights flickering in his crimson eyes.

Alois shrugged, slumped on the bench and put his hands behind his head. "He was concerned about you having a secret thing with Claude… I gave him that so that he would relax a little."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes and dropped his head so that he could look down on the trembling navy haired male in his arms. Ciel tipped his head back and smiled a little, looking quite queasy.

"It's not a very unrealistic concern, now is it?" Alois pointed out, taking another deep drag from his joint. "Since you two used to fuck like jackrabbits."

Sebastian groaned annoyed at the blonde's tactlessness, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Did you really?"

He cracked one eye open and gazed down. Ciel's eye was wide and begging him to say no. With his lips parted and the bottom one quivering, Sebastian could not summon the nerve to do anything other but deny everything.

"Of course not, baby," Sebastian whispered, cupping the younger male's cheek and caressing it soothingly with his thumb. "Not jackrabbits," he added so he couldn't use this confession against him some point later in time.

For now, Ciel seemed satisfied with the answer. He produced a cheerful enough smile, but it dropped quickly and Alois rooted when the younger male wrapped his arms around his stomach, doubled and vomited violently. Sebastian could've killed Alois but his main concern was with Ciel right now and instead of shying back in disgust, he rubbed soothing circles on the younger male's back while he lost his religion on the porch and Sebastian's feet.

Straightening his back, Ciel nearly tumbled backwards. Sebastian was there to catch him and easily lifted him off his feet. Quivering and biting on the inside of his cheek not to erupt into sobbing like a child, Ciel buried his face in the junction of Sebastian's neck.

"Happy, Alois?" Sebastian snarled, his glare cold while he stared at the blonde. Alois tipped his head back and produced a wide smirk.

"Of course I am," he declared, making the corner of Sebastian's mouth twitch with anger. "Now you can go and play his hero. You should be thanking me."

"Let me hold off with showing off my appreciation until I found a good way to commit the perfect crime," Sebastian growled, cradling the trembling Ciel a little closer to his chest. "But to give you a brief idea of my gratitude, you can clean this up," he nodded to the pool of pink colored vomit at his feet."

Alois wrinkled his nose for a moment, shrugged and waved it off. "Nothing I have not seen before," he pushed himself up and walked over. Ciel's body jerked when the blonde caressed his navy locks soothingly.

"Don't feel bad, Ciel. I vomited the first time too, and Sebastian was also the one to clean me up after. He has experience with this," under the watchful eye of Sebastian, Alois leaned in. "He only does that for people he cares about," he whispered.

"Don't flatter yourself, Alois," Sebastian snapped. "I did it for you because I didn't want your puke leaving stains on my hardwood floors."

Ciel bit down hard on his bottom lip and nodded, trying to produce a small smile. Alois stood back and waved an accusing finger in Sebastian's face.

"Don't you go denying it. You might like to think that you're never outwardly happy about anything like my stupid boyfriend, but I know you better than that."

"For the last time, Alois…" The blonde froze and slowly turned to the door. Claude stood in the entrance, his arms crossed and his normal stoic expression even more cold than usual. "…I am not your boyfriend."

Alois huffed. "Life partner, whatever. That sounds so stupidly grown up."

Claude arched an eyebrow at the blonde. "May I remind you that we are grown ups, even if you insist on acting like a two year old."

"Am not!" Alois quipped, stomping his foot and flailing his arms. "I am not acting like a two year old," he wailed before waving a finger in Claude's face. "You are being stupid."

"And you're a fucking stoner," Claude declared annoyed, repositioning his glasses with his forefinger.

"Stupid. Stupid. Stupid," Alois insisted, stomping his foot with every stupid he spat.

"Act your age, idiot," Claude mumbled, rolling his eyes when Alois pushed his fingers in his ears and started twirling around and singing a very off tone version of _Anywhere_

Sebastian exhaled audibly, muttered he was leaving the married couple alone and went inside to tend to Ciel.

* * *

Ciel shivered in his arms, feeling the effects of the joint beat down on his body. His stomach turned again, making jumps and leaps and messing with the food he had little over an hour ago.

"How are you feeling?"

Sebastian's voice was gentle and genuinely concerned as he walked up the stairs, cradling the limb body a little closer to his chest.

Ciel could only groan in response, afraid that if he opened his mouth, he would throw up again. Shame and nausea colored his cheeks bright red so he buried his head a little further into the crook of Sebastian's neck, trying to hide it from him. He reached up and hugged the warm torso.

"You shouldn't take everything Alois pushes on you," Sebastian continued, his voice a little more stern as he kicked the door to the bathroom open and set Ciel down on the toilet. Standing back, he put his hands on his hips and gazed down on the miserable heap of Ciel.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, fidgeting with his fingers and sucking his bottom lip between his teeth. After a moment, he gazed up from below. Sebastian's frown melted instantly and he shook his head, pinching his nose.

"Forget about it, let's just get you cleaned up."

Ciel nodded and let Sebastian help him to his feet and out of his clothes. His body was weak and he felt like a ragdoll when the older male easily heaved him over his shoulder and walked to the shower. Acting like a parent or a supervisor, Sebastian rinsed Ciel off, making sure all the remnants of their sexual escapade of last night was washed away.

"Hold this," he handed Ciel the enormous showerhead and went to fetch a new toothbrush.

Ciel brushed his teeth eagerly, trying to get rid of the taste of weed and vomit. After, he peered at Sebastian who was standing at the sink, brushing his own teeth with slow, almost graceful strokes. Even an act something as mediocre as brushing his teeth looked elegant while Sebastian did it and Ciel became painfully aware just how lucky he was having even had one night with this gorgeous male.

"Ready?"

Ciel snapped out of his trail of self destructive thoughts and looked up. Sebastian was leaning against the sink, one hand leaning on the white marble and the other perched up on his hip.

"I'd like to get a shower as well," he gestured to his feet.

Ciel chuckled bitterly, stepped aside and nodded to the space he had created.

"I think it's big enough for the both of us," he whispered, hoping with all his heart Sebastian would take the offer and not back out now that he had seen what kind of a weak person Ciel was in reality.

Sebastian arched an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

Ciel could actually feel Sebastian pull away from him. The distant and indifferent attitude he took with him proved that Claude had convinced him of the tabloid crap he had told Alois. It painfully stabbed him in the heart and made him irritated to even look at his face.

"Yes," Ciel groaned annoyed. "Jesus, it's not like I'm going to barf all over you again and if I did, we're in the shower, it'll wash off."

With his brows mashed together, Sebastian focused on the hurt expression on Ciel's face.

"Not the kind of attitude you'd expect from someone who just vomited all over your feet," he pointed out. Ciel groaned, slapped a hand over his eyes and nodded shamefully.

"I am sorry… Jesus, I… it's all just so fucking messy."

Sebastian chuckled softly, shook his head and combed his finger through his hair. "No, I get it. Don't worry about it," he cocked his head and studied the pleading air that surrounded Ciel. It was edgy and raw and it enamored him with the need to protect him.

"Are you sure you're not going to vomit all over me again. I can only take so much pinkish, macaroon horror at once."

Ciel chortled and placed a hand on his chest. "Across my heart and hope not to barf."

Sebastian smirked, lowered his boxers in one swift move and stepped out of them. Ciel turned his back to him to hide his wide and giddy smirk.

Sebastian rounded the glass panel that contained the water from splashing into the bathroom and surprised the younger male by placing his hands against the tiles, trapping him between his arms and pressing his chest against Ciel's back.

"What motivated you to smoke that joint?" Sebastian whispered in Ciel's wet locks. "You're such a idiot. You've got asthma, don't you know what that shit does to your lungs."

Ciel's body jerked when he heard those words coming out of Sebastian's mouth.

"You remembered."

Sebastian mashed his brows together. "I remembered what?"

"That I have asthmas, you remembered," he whispered.

Ciel felt Sebastian's long fingers on his chin and the older male tipped his head back until they looked each other in the eye. He frowned, but there was also a smile on his lips as he said.

"Of course I remember, you told me that just about two weeks ago. How could you actually think I would forget about something like that."

Ciel shrugged, his eye frantically looking anywhere but up in Sebastian's.

"It doesn't seem important," he murmured, licking his lips. He yelped in Sebastian's mouth when the older male suddenly pressed his lips against Ciel's in extremely slow kiss. He ran his tongue gently over the quivering bottom lip of the younger male and suckled on it after. He teasing pushed it between the parted lips and brushed it against Ciel's, just to pull it back and take the upper lip of the younger male between his own before Ciel's tongue could respond by brushing Sebastian's.

He felt Sebastian's long and slender fingers run down his abs and he cried out when they closed around his erection and gave it one, strong jerk. Sebastian uncurled his hand and massaged Ciel's balls, making him mewl while he tauntingly let his fingers brush the younger male's twitching hole.

"You've been a very bad boy," his voice murmured low, making Ciel growl with desire.

Sebastian opened his eyes and gazed down on Ciel. His cheeks were flushed and his lips parted while he gasped for breaths, slumping against the older male's chest. Surprising Ciel by smoothly pushing two digits inside him, he got aroused by the way the younger male cried out his name, his hands hopelessly clawing at Sebastian's thighs, leaving red marks with his nails.

Not holding back any longer, Sebastian took a step back, forced Ciel to bend over and pushed a third finger into the clenching asshole.

"Come on, moan like you fucking mean it," Sebastian growled, increasing the tempo of his fingers. Ciel dropped his chin to his chest and grunted hard, bucking his hips into the pace of the teasing fingers.

"Fuck this," Sebastian harshly pulled his fingers out, spread the ass with both hands and pushed his cock in. Ciel tried to move forward to get away from the intense pain of the hard thrust, but Sebastian easily held him in place and slammed his erection into the younger male, making him whine in pleasure.

He fucked him hard, not caring if Claude, Alois or the entire neighborhood heard. He increased his tempo until Ciel's entire body was forced to move along. He reached around and pumped at Ciel's cock, making the younger male tremble and writhe with the intensity of his harsh manhandling. He didn't know if he was punishing Ciel for acting so reckless or that he wanted to show Claude that he could decide for himself if he wanted to fuck Ciel or not.

Ciel leaned on the tiles, his forehead resting against his forearm. Every time he was close to cumming, Sebastian would ease down to such a painfully slow tempo that his high would fade. He treated him like a replaceable item, something that he used until he got bored and Ciel loved it. For some reason undefined, it felt like with this harsh dressing down, Sebastian showed that he did care for him, more than the older male would like to admit.

He cared enough to be mad about the joint and to remember he had asthma. He cared enough to fuck him senseless and whisper raw and rancid words of comfort in his ear. He cared enough to pull him into his chest, shove his arms under Ciel's trembling legs and lift him in the air, pinning him down on his thick cock and pumping in and out of him with deep and well aimed strokes. Even if he was punishing him, Sebastian made damned sure that Ciel loved every second of it.

"Ahh… fuck, Sebastian," he wrapped an arm around the older male's neck, clawed at the flesh until it tore and forcefully pushed his lips on Sebastian's parted ones.

When Sebastian came, he came violently, shooting his load deep inside Ciel and grunting his toe-curling orgasm into the younger male's mouth like a caged animal. Wanting to hear the deliciously tortured cries of his lover, Ciel broke the kiss and threw his head back on Sebastian's left shoulder, enjoying the intense pleasure he heard in the raw groans that he ripped from the older male's lips with his clenching hole. Ciel already came minutes before Sebastian had done, and his semen was gradually trickling down the anthracite stones of the shower wall.

Even if his legs were about to give in, Sebastian refused to put Ciel down or pull himself out of him. The heat that radiated off Ciel's hole and the clenching of the inner walls felt too good on his still erected dick. Letting just one leg down, Sebastian leaned against the shower wall. He smiled when he felt Ciel's tongue drag over the tendons of his neck and he angled his head so that he could kiss the younger male.

"Sebastian?" His voice timid and insecure.

"Ciel…" His voice solid and raw.

Ciel sucked his lip between his teeth, not sure he should actually say what sprung into his mind while Sebastian fucked him. He blurted it out anyway, before he could disregard it and tell Sebastian it was nothing.

"I don't want you to walk away from me."

Sebastian mashed his brows together in a thoughtful frown. "What do you mean by that?"

Ciel shook his head and dropped his chin to his chest. "Never mind, just… forget it," he whispered.

Sebastian gazed down on him, exhaled and grabbed Ciel's chin. Tipping his head back, he brushed his lips over Ciel's quivering ones.

"I don't know what you expect me to say, but… I won't walk away from you. I promise."

For a moment, Ciel just blinked at him. Then, he offered him a wide smile and a short nod of the head, satisfied with the answer whether it was truthful or not.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sebastian was forced to let Ciel's other leg down too when the younger male started to squirm and writhe in his arms. Standing on his own feet again, Ciel slowly turned to Sebastian and surprised him by pushing him against the glass panel.

"Making damned sure you'll stay true to your word," Ciel purred before getting down on his knees and luring a satisfied growl from Sebastian when he swallowed his dick whole.

* * *

The dull buzz of the door did not bother Ciel so much this time, and he did not take offence in the excited gleam in Irene's eyes when he entered his aunt's office. He greeted her with a cheerful smile and even managed to flirt a little with her, telling her the green summer dress made her boobs outstandingly perky.

"Do you mind if I wait in her office? It's kind of strange for a male to be sitting around the waiting room of a gynecologist."

Irene giggled at the wink he gave her and nodded with a delighted sigh.

"Naturally you can, I'll call her that you're here."

"Thanks, babe," Ciel slammed his hand down on the counter, walked to the office and stepped into the dim lit room. Even if it smelled of ovaries and baby oil, he couldn't be bothered with scolding at it today. He sank down in his aunt's chair, flopped his feet on the desk and waited for her to come in.

When she entered, she arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow and chuckled soft.

"I see you made yourself quite at home here," she commented, taking her coat off and putting her purse down. "Feet, Ciel," she warned him, snapping a finger to his shoes on her polished desk.

Ciel raised his hands in defense, put his feet down and sat up straight. Anne watched her nephew bend down and fetch a bottle of water and a can of soda from her private mini fridge.

"I actually hadn't expected to see you back here, especially in such a good mood," she thanked him for the bottle and sat down on the edge of her desk. "What happened?"

Ciel opened the can, emptied half of it in one sip and wiped his mouth at the sleeve of his leather jacket.

"I had sex, aunt Anne, and not just the mediocre type people write songs about. This was… god," he threw his head in his neck and closed his eyes. "This was so fucking delicious and arousing that I don't even think there are words that can start describing how perfect it was. It was a fucking epitome of everything that is good and hot in this world."

Anne shook her head with a soft chuckle. She could already see and hear her sister going crazy with fondling over hearing her son talk like this about a man.

"But yet, there is some thoughtfulness in your expression," she pointed out. "Something went wrong?"

Ciel mashed his brows together, put his hands behind his head and twirled on around.

"I took some drags of a joint and barfed over his feet."

"Ciel! You did drugs?"

"What?" He snapped, putting his boots down to stop twirling. "It's not like I took a snort of coke or something. It was just a fucking joint. Don't tell me you never went through the shitload of pain killers you have stored here and tried a variation with some of that hidden whisky you keep in your bottom drawer."

Anne pressed her lips together and studied him past her nose. He was right, dead-on correct, but she would never tell him that and give him the pleasure of knowing. She pushed a lock of her red hair back in the bun in her neck and took a sip of water.

"Besides, you're here as my shrink, not as my aunt. I swear aunt Anne," Ciel raised a threatening finger. "If any of this gets back to my parents…"

She raised her hands in defense and shook her head. "You're right. I'm sorry Ciel. So," she put the bottle down and crossed her arms. "You barfed over his feet."

Ciel grinned painfully and nodded. "I did," he answered, shuddering at the memory.

"What happened?"

"He was kind," Ciel answered, still surprised by Sebastian's reaction. "He didn't yell at me, or grossed out. He didn't even roll his eyes and tell me what kind of a fucking bastard I was. He was caring and got me cleaned up."

"Ok," Anne frowned. "Then, what is the problem?"

Ciel chewed on his lip. "For a brief moment, he was so distant. So… cold. Like what Claude had said to him had effect."

"What did Claude say to him?"

"Something about us being together. The tabloid and the breaking of the band," Ciel recollected. "He's afraid about truths being twisted and the media turning us against each other."

Anne nodded. "A fairly realistic concern I would say. The tabloid is a powerful medium that has done more wrong than right to those famous."

"So, you agree with him?" Ciel snapped, standing up and pushing the chair back. By the force of the shove, it crashed against the wall and tumbled over.

"I did not say I agreed with him… Ciel… I."

Ciel slammed his hands down on the desk, making his aunt's body jerk with surprise.

"Why is everybody against us? What the hell is the fucking problem that I like Sebastian? What the fucking hell is the deal with everybody opposing that we fuck? Why do you all want to come between him and me? Why can't I have one fucking thing for myself? Why? WHY?"

Anne stared motionless at her ranting nephew. He slammed a pencil holder and a lamp off the desk out of pure frustration.

"I want just one fucking thing. One fucking, mediocre thing and everybody is working against it. Everybody wants to keep us the fuck apart and I hate it, aunt Anne. I fucking hate it!" Ciel shoved his hands in his hair and stood still in place, his chest heaving rapidly and his breath erratic.

Slowly, Anne rose to her feet and stepped forward.

"Ciel…" She placed a hand on his shoulder. His body jerked by the contact and he shied back, shaking his head violently.

"Don't you fucking dare sympathize with me, aunt Anne. Don't. It's my own fucking fault. I fell in love with him and I knew the conditions. I know he can go back to Claude whenever he wants to. I know there is nothing to gain for him if he stays with me… fuck…"

Anne swallowed and ignoring the flailing arms, she wrapped hers around her nephew and hushed him, whispering soothing words of comfort.

"You can break it off, Ciel…" Her voice gentle while she stroke his hair. "I bet he'll understand if you explain it's best for you."

He shook his head, wiped his eyes and tilted his head. After years of being a short kid, he finally outgrew his aunt and could now look down on her. She offered him a smile that was so familiar to him but did nothing to comfort him right now.

"No… I can't break it off," he spoke, taking her face between his hands and kissing her cheek. "I wouldn't want to miss all of this for the world. Thanks for the talk."

"Ciel!" Anne whirled around. He stopped in the doorway and offered her a smile that she knew all too well. It was his smile, the one that made her fall in love with her brother-in-law. She swallowed and smiled back.

"You can do something about this. It doesn't have to be like this… you can find someone who will love you for something other than sex."

He shook his head and chuckled.

"I do not think I am that privileged. Don't worry, Aunt Anne. I'm good again… see you next week," he saluted her and walked out.

* * *

Is Ciel borderline crazy? Mmm... perhaps. I think any sane person would react like that when you're being threatened in your relationship with Sebastian. I would, but then again... Sebastian wouldn't want to be in a relationship with me -_-

Well, dear puppies... I hope I whispered some good smut, and that it'll give me the same rate of reviews I had last. I am going to curl up into a ball and die that J.M. Tatum does the yaoi dance himself (Is it possible to even love him more for this?)

Review, I ask you, review and I shall keep the smut coming. There should be a scene that is even hotter than the kitchen one. Oh trust me, it is there... just;

Motivate me!

Thank you for reading. Period!


	12. Act 31

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

This chapter is a lot shorter than I had initially intented on. Perhaps it is some sort of a punishment for my disappointment on the reponse on the previous chapter, but I think it has more to do with the lengthiness had I added everything I was supposed to. It would've been too long, so I hope you don't mind that I create more chapters by smearing the information.

At any rate, thanks to those who have loyally reviewed the shower sex/punishment and Ciel's mental meltdown. Especially you, Julie. Two reviews? I thought I was going to die of a fatal nosebleed! I'll talk and scheme with you soon on facebook later today, give critters and husband a hug from me, ok?

Now, onto this chapter and the taming of the shrew!

Enjoy!

O.

_Spelling check will follow, naturally. Be patient, my sweet and little mocking birds, all good comes to those who wait for me to tie a cherry tree stem into a knot with my tongue._

* * *

Claude could only vaguely remember why he had let Alois convince him to join Sebastian and Ciel for a drink in the pub. It wasn't as much that the six beers he had consumed were having effect on him as it was more so that he had seen his partner give away a colorful performance of Aretha Franklin's _Respect_ and Ciel actually had had the nerve to cheer him on.

He had felt shame color his cheeks while the blonde had climbed onto the bar, demanding his worthless respect by waving a finger and swinging his hips sweet and swishy, the alcohol messing with the rhythm that normally came so naturally to him. Even when he was fucking him hard, Alois always found a way to move into that exact insane tempo and even made it seem graceful while he screamed and writhed underneath him, or next to him, or on top of him, begging his partner to fuck his hole while his blue eyes glazed over with pure lust and desire.

He had looked sideways, looking for support in Sebastian, but the idiot was just grinning like a loon, his eyes ogling over the rooting Ciel. Claude made a mental note to tell him once and for all that he was crushing on the Phantomhive boy and that he should find a way to work with it or get it over with.

Alois bent down, using a wine glass as a microphone and putting his heart and soul in playbacking and not tumbling forward. Even if Claude was more than lethally annoyed with the blonde, the purple shirt giving view all the way to his naval, got the older male hot and bothered. Alois's lips mouthed the words as if he sang them for him, his lidded eyes gazing deep in Claude's. His uncontrolled jerks stopped and his attention seemed completely focused on staring deep in the golden orbs and Claude saw his chance clear. Crooking a finger, he beckoned Alois to come closer and when the unaware blonde did, he snatched him off the bar, easily tugged him under his arm and walked out back to give him a piece of his mind and a taste of his aroused, precum leaking dick.

After getting back, in a tranquil state of orgasmic bliss that he knew would soon be gone with his partner being drunk, he was reminded why he had agreed to come to the pub in the first place.

"Undertaker, could you turn up the volume?" Claude leaned on the bar, turning his right ear to the radio to hear the announcement more clear and slapping a hand over Alois's mouth to not so subtly muffle the gibberish the blonde insisted on sharing in a twittering tone of voice.

"And now to the hottest topic. Watch out Collide, the Funtom Company is taking over. The new band of the former Collide lead guitarist Ciel Phantomhive and the members of Black Butler are on fire! Earlier this month, Phatomhive sparked controversary with abruptly departing his old band, only to immediately announce his role in creating a new band. They released their first sinle _Anywhere_ to overwhelming worldwide acclaim, and as of yesterday, it is the number one throughout the entire States, Europe and Asia. Against all odds, they might give Collide a run for their money after all, rivalling with Collide's own new single at the top of the charts. Congratulations to these gorgeous men, we'll be awaiting your next song eagerly, and to satisfy our need right now, here is that delicious record we all know and love."

Undertaker turned the volume of the radio up another notch and whirled to his bar, beaming proudly at the four members of the Funtom Company that only now seemed to remember why they were there in the first place.

"Another round, gentlemen?" He opened the tap without awaiting an answer, knowing for sure Sebastian would continue drinking until the bar closed.

Claude raised his hand, shook his head and finished his remnant of Fullers.

"Thanks, but we have to appear on the _celebrity close up_ tomorrow, so," he rolled his eyes to Sebastian and Ciel who were shamelessly sexing each other up, no matter how many times Undertaker asked them not to do such nasty hanky-panky in his pub. "We need to look a little presentable," Claude finished in an annoyed growl, snarling at Sebastian to get over himself.

"Just shut the fuck up for once," Sebastian shot back, the words muffled by Ciel's skin. "Live a little," he continued, lifting his lips off the younger male's throat.

"I live to my own capability, thank you very much, and that works for me and the rest of the world. That means I don't go around and give hickeys in a public pub in the South of America."

"Thank you for the insightful and oh so subtle hint."

"I didn't mean for it to be subtle, or a hint. More a clue on how one goes about acting in public.

"Oh, so the way your little bitch is skanking around the bar, selling himself out to the highest bidder while being high and wasted out of his fucking mind is your definition of normal behavior?" Sebastian declared leisurely, nodding to a point behind Claude.

Snapping around, Claude nearly crushed the glass he was holding and cursed under his breath while he saw Alois give a group of very shocked students a glance up his shorts while dancing on their table, swinging his hips seductively slow to the rhythm of Nina Simone's _Lilac Wine_.

"Mother fucking…" he leaped forward, his stool tumbling over while he charged to the table and pulled his partner off the furniture. He got even more bothered when he saw the outlines of the mediocre boners Alois had caused around the group. One well meant growl and murderous glare was enough to send the young boys on their way.

"Are you fucking me Claude?" Undertaker snarled from behind the bar, ignoring Sebastian's snappy pun about objecting against him and Ciel groping each other but asking Claude to fuck him. "Did you just really scared paying customers away?"

Claude huffed some grunts, yanked his wallet from his jacket and slammed some billets down.

"That should cover that one pitcher they had," he grabbed a firm hold of Alois's arm again, making the blonde whimper like a beaten dog once more. His golden eyes shot to Sebastian and Ciel and for a moment he wanted to lecture them, but when the look in Sebastian's crimson orbs told him he wouldn't listen to him anyway, he made a hissing sound, told them to not make it too late and walked out, dragging a wailing Alois along.

Ciel sighed delighted when Sebastian continued his administrations, gently running his fingers over the tendons of his neck and brushing his lips over the lobe of his ear.

"I fucking mean it Sebastian," Undertaker warned one more time. "Continue that shit and I will throw you out myself. This is not a gay bar, no matter what you think."

Sebastian rolled his eyes, locked them with Ciel's sex induced gaze and made a quick decision. Leaning in, he made Undertaker curse while he brushed his lips over Ciel's, teasingly licking them.

"Shall we get out of here? Continue this elsewhere," he suggested.

Ciel didn't even answer and just yanked his jacket of the back of the stool and staggered to the door. A growl of pure sexual desire welled up in Sebastian's chest and he threw his fresh pint back in three sips.

"Thanks, Undertaker," he absentmindedly pulled a pile of billets from his wallet, slammed them down on the counter and followed the cause of his throbbing boner.

Outside, a heavy September shower fell from the black sky. It soaked them while they walked to Sebastian's car that was parked a block away. Neither cared for the warm drops, and the random pedestrian that passed them. They only had eye for one another and went out of their way of touching each other in what seemed subtle ways.

Sebastian let the younger male drag him into a dark alley and could only moan and buck his hips into Ciel's when the younger male demanded control of his lips in a heated kiss. His fingers hiked up the drained white t-shirt and he made Ciel shiver when his warm digits fingered the slight indentations of his abs.

Ciel pulled back, leaving the alley and an aroused Sebastian with a triumphant smirk curling his lips. Sebastian followed obediently. He had to, because it seemed the younger male had full control over him. At this moment, he would do anything and willingly commit to all the younger male threw his way and it confused him how big his need had grown in the past two weeks, even if he kept denying it was need over desire.

When they finally got to his car, Sebastian sat on the hood and pulled Ciel between his legs, drawing his warmth back to his longing body.

"You're such a tease," Ciel murmured, kissing the tips of the digits Sebastian brushed over his lips. The older male smiled and leaned in.

"Yes, but I'm your tease," he whispered, sucking his bottom lip between his teeth when Ciel took one of the fingers in his mouth and softly suckled on it, twirling his tongue around it in slow and arousing strokes.

Ciel arched an eyebrow. "Are you? Are you really?"

Sebastian hushed him by stroking his swollen lips with his thumb. "Yes, simply one hell of a tease and…" He bent down and placed his mouth against Ciel's. "…Entirely yours."

* * *

When morning came, Ciel and Sebastian had fucked, countless times, but neither of them seemed to really remember how they ended up naked in the back of Sebastian's car at some deserted forest lane. There was one thing they could concluded and that was that the alcohol was giving each a splitting headache.

"Have you seen my pants anywhere?" Ciel tried to climb over Sebastian naked and beaten body, only to end up in a tangled ball of bare arms and legs. His face was close to Sebastian's and even though they could both use a piece of gum, he leaned in and kissed him.

"Do you know what the best remedy for this kind of a hangover is?" Sebastian spoke, suggestively wiggling his eyebrows.

Not awaiting the result of Ciel's contemplation, he easily lifted the younger male up and pinned him down, making him straddle his hips and pressing his hard cock against his warm flesh, aligning it with Ciel's ass and back.

"Is that all?" Ciel cocked an eyebrow, grinning teasingly. Sebastian shook his head and placed his hands behind it, an arrogant smirk curling his lips.

"I want to see you work yourself down on me."

His voice was laced with raw, primal desire and his eyes burned with the exact same longing as they gazed up at the young naked male that sat on top of him, shocked and aroused.

"You seem surprised," Sebastian told him. It could not even begin to describe the mix of emotions that hit Ciel and turned him from a hung over train wreck into a horny animal. He bent over, cutting off Sebastian's speech with a hungry and aggressive kiss while bucking his hips and rubbing his perky ass against the rigid dick.

He groaned into Sebastian's mouth, showing his appreciation for the feeling he had awoken within him by sucking on the tendons of the older male's neck and flicking his fingers over his hard nipples.

"You have stubbles," he purred, nudging his nose against Sebastian's chin and loving the rough feeling of it against his own soft skin.

Before Sebastian could utter any form of a response, Ciel claimed his mouth again in a passionate kiss that left the older male writhing underneath the lustful touch. He dug his fingers in the flesh of the naked hips and bucked his erection against the warm back. He moaned, hungrily, needy even. He believed he would die of arousal if Ciel would abruptly stop his sudden search for dominance. He was no longer in control of his own movements and let everything to chance… the chance that Ciel might be merciful and fuck him senseless, giving him the release that was painfully throbbing in his groin.

Ciel sat back and enjoyed the delighted sigh that came from Sebastian while his crimson eyes took in the glorious form of the younger male, bathing in the soft September light. He let Sebastian's slender fingers map every inch of his skin, feeling it tinkle in wanting under the warm digits. He did not know where this wanton behavior came from but Sebastian seemed to love it, and so did he.

"Am I going to get it at some point?" Sebastian asked, his lips curling into an impossible smirk. Ciel bent forward, placing his hands on the older male's waist and tipping his head back with a certain air of sexual accomplishment and arrogance.

"So impatient," he scolded. "You do realize that you are practically mine by contract… your entire being is mine until you have fulfilled the full terms of said agreement, until the end."

"You make it sound so dark and mysterious," Sebastian concluded, massaging the younger male's hip and luring a low hiss from his lips when he rubbed his thumb over the slit of his dick.

"Isn't it just that? Sinister and secretive, fucking on some deserted forest lane like worthless animals, mercilessly doomed to hide their passion."

"You noxious little beast," Sebastian murmured through clenched jaws to keep the moan that welled up in the back of his throat down. "Don't say such tedious things and push you pretty ass down on my dick already."

"Not until you acknowledge the power I hold over you."

"And what power might that be?"

Ciel rolled his hips, giving Sebastian's dick a taste of the warmth of his ass by rubbing it gradually against the rigid cock. Hissing while he sucked air through his teeth, Sebastian's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he grabbed Ciel's waist, molding the soft flesh.

"All the power I damn well want," Ciel murmured, bending down to lick Sebastian's jaw. "Admit you are mine."

Sebastian straightened his head, pressed his hands under Ciel's jaw and looked him in the eye.

"I am yours, and I will stay by your side until the ending."

With that conformation and a lustful grin, Ciel lifted his hips, angled them and made sure to immediately clench Sebastian's dick as he lowered himself down on the perfect erection.

* * *

His head was throbbing and the coffee that should've helped him, was draining even more fluids from his dried out body. Sebastian grunted painfully, shifting in his seat while turning his lukewarm drink around in its cup. His cigarette tasted awful, even after the amazing sex he had about two hours ago. He moaned tortured when Claude entered the kitchen, kicking the door wide open so it slammed against the wall. It pounded through Sebastian's head like a heard of wildebeest.

"Rotten sadist, mind keeping it the fuck down? I've got a splitting headache," Sebastian growled, fingering his temples soothingly.

Claude didn't pay his plea any attention and threw today's newspaper on the table. Through his sunglasses, Sebastian saw a familiar scene, eternalized by a camera and displayed to the world on page six.

"Happy? Proud of yourself?" Claude snarled, punching his finger down and tapping harshly on the black and white picture of Ciel and Sebastian, sitting on the hood of his car. Sebastian threw his head back, shoving his sunglasses further up his nose.

"In general, I can say that I am quite proud of myself, yes," Sebastian shot back sarcastically, intentionally ignoring the snarl.

"You really have no standards. I believe you find yourself quite entertaining, don't you?" Claude went on, fanning out his fingers. "I for one do not care for your carelessness, I find it rather irksome. Have you ever even considered the consequences?"

"I have, and found them insufficient enough to ignore them," Sebastian told him, cocking his head to the side and watching with an amused smile while a vein started to pulse on Claude's forehead.

"You fucking idiot," Claude snapped, insistently pushing his finger on the paper. "Do you have any fucking clue how bothersome this could get."

"Relax," Sebastian bent down and picked up a purring Bard. "It is just a photograph," he soothed, scratching the mewling cat's chin.

Claude bit down a growl, sighed and repositioned his glasses. "Did anything else happen that might stir up things even more?"

"We fucked in the back of my car on an abandoned forest lane."

"You fucking incompetent moron!" Claude screamed, losing his stoic coolness. "I hope it was a screw that was worth ruining your career over."

Sebastian smirked, remembering how Ciel had rode him. "It was. He cried out like an obedient, little bitch. I grew rather fond of his mewling, it is perfection… but, surely, this is something we are capable of managing."

"Managing? Managing!" Claude repeated twice. "Alright, how about you go and manage it. It has been a spectacular waste of time thinking you would even bother listening to me."

"Yes," Sebastian answered, pulling out his phone and moving his thumb over the screen. "One would expect you'd know better by now than to treasure such idle hopes," he found the number he looked for and pressed call.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Claude's eyes suspiciously focused on Sebastian's figure.

"Managing," he answered before a smile curled his lips again as he began talking into his phone.

* * *

Ciel arrived at the studio only one hour before the show would start. Before he could even begin to wonder if the others were already there, he was rushed to the makeup room. In a fleeting moment, he saw Claude and Sebastian talking to the hostess, Lorraine Cook. He mashed his brows together when he saw a young, black haired women standing next to Sebastian and he felt some sort of a painful pang in his chest when he saw Sebastian had his arm draped over her shoulders. It was so trivial and casual, but it looked like they were so familiar with it. She had the biggest smile on her lips while she gazed up at Sebastian's handsome profile and like that, they passed the stage and Ciel was dragged through a narrow hall. Pushed into a chair, a blonde and gum chewing girl began working on him, telling him she would put some color on his pale cheeks. Her name was Wendy, and besides doing bad celebrity imitations and chewing gum, she was actually one hell of a makeup artist. Right after she was done putting a very subtle layer of mascara on his lashes which he insisted wasn't necessary but looked fairly good in the ending, he saw a reflection in the mirror.

"You look good," slender fingers curled around his shoulders and Sebastian lowered his face to align with Ciel's over the younger male's shoulder. "Way too good to be having the same hangover I am trying to manage."

Ciel smiled and glanced sideways without turning his head.

"You're one to talk," he commented snide, getting strangely aroused by the subtle black kohl that made Sebastian's crimson eyes stand out. "Besides, you should not want to set foot into my bathroom at home," he punned, making Sebastian chortle for a moment.

"Yes, you always seem to have a problem with keeping food down," his crimson eyes darted to the blonde Wendy that sat on the makeup table, legs swinging and jaw chewing. Hiding his annoyance with a wide smile and sickly sweet tone of voice, he rudely told her to fuck off without making it sound like an insult. She nodded, her to-the-side bun and the bows and ribbons that were used to hold it up with bouncing up and down as she did. The systematically clicking of her sleek red shoes disappeared down the corridor and as her entire image faded around the corner, Sebastian walked to the door, closed and locked it.

"What do you want?" Ciel snarled a little more harshly than intended, letting his hand cup his cheek so he could lean his tired and throbbing head down.

"Aren't we groggy today?"

Ciel yelped involuntarily when his chair was turned. Sebastian grabbed the armrests and leaned down so that he could look Ciel in the eye. "Not at all like you were this morning, writhing on top of me, riding my dick."

"Shut up," Ciel groaned, moving his hand so it covered his visible eye. Sebastian grabbed his wrist and easily pinned the hand down.

"Open your eye and look at me," he commanded. Ciel just shook his head and stated a short no.

"Please, baby," Sebastian reasoned, leaning in and nudged the soft skin of Ciel's throat with his nose. "I want you to look at me while I give you head."

His eye cracked open and his jaw dropped. Sebastian smirked. He had been waiting for this opportune moment and he made Ciel moan when he gruesomely attacked his mouth with a hungrily kiss.

Ciel knotted his hands in the raven bangs and tried to pull Sebastian closer by it, wanting to feel the pressure of the older male's body against his own. The chair squeaked tired under their weight as Sebastian slowly climbed on top of him, his knees pressed down on either side of Ciel's thighs.

Ciel grabbed Sebastian's firm ass, brought him down and jerked his own hips up, his dick meeting Sebastian's ass in a heated and clad thrust.

"I so want to fuck you," Ciel murmured in Sebastian's mouth, his voice as affectionately as it could get while uttering such nasty words. He maneuvered a hand and pushed it in the jeans, tugging at the band of Sebastian's boxers. "I bet your pretty ass isn't even stretched yet," he went on, making Sebastian shivers while the cool tips of his slender fingers slid down behind the band of the underwear and over the radiating skin of Sebastian's ass. "Let me examine that theory," he whispered ultimately, bending his hand and making the older male grunt in his mouth when he pressed a finger against his asshole.

"Stop, Ciel," Sebastian moaned gruff, automatically bucking his hips into the strokes of Ciel's finger.

"Oh no," Ciel chuckled sweetly. "You have brought this upon yourself, baby, working that taunting ass in such tedious ways. I bet you've never been fucked before, have you. This hole is as virgin as the holy Mary herself."

Sebastian could hardly control his moves but forcing himself to, he leaned back until he could look Ciel in the eye.

"I mean it, Ciel. Stop, right now," he told him, his voice much more coherent than his thoughts.

Ciel pouted briefly before his lips curled into a mischievous smirk.

"So serious," he murmured, reaching up and caressing his thumb over Sebastian's bottom lip. "Let's see if I can do something about that."

Sebastian's pupils dilated and he grabbed the armrests of the chair, biting his lip while Ciel pushed the finger that had been rubbing circles on the hole inside. The sly smirk on the younger male's lips grew wider and he sucked on his bottom lip, moaning delighted.

"Look at the writhed face and tortured eyes. Such beautiful emotion," he breathed, pulling the finger out and plunging it back in again in one smooth move. He leaned forward and brushed his lips over Sebastian's craned neck. "You're so tight still, baby."

"Shut up," Sebastian snarled through gritted teeth. His mind could solely focus on the intrusion of his body and he could only imagine what Ciel had felt like while he fucked him this morning. Images of past lovers played through his mind like a cinematic record and he could only wonder if each of them had felt this vulnerable. His jaw dropped and he grunted tortured when Ciel put effort into pushing a second finger inside, whispering rancid words against Sebastian's throat.

Sebastian had told himself he would never find himself in this position, so exposed to his lover. He had even bend Claude, a man equally dominant, to his will and fucked him senseless, but this younger kid had had little effort to make Sebastian do his bidding. Now, he found himself moaning like an obedient dog while he bucked his hips into the magic the slender fingers worked on him, brushing past his prostate with every thrust.

"That's a good boy," Ciel whispered, as if he were talking to a dog.

Sebastian dropped his chin to his chest and stared at Ciel's face. The blue eye shimmered with newfound excitement and the younger male reached out his neck to gradually kiss the panting lips of his dumbfounded lover. Sebastian took this opportunity to moan without anyone hearing the pleasure that was laced through it. He grunted and nearly mewled into the warm mouth. He felt the slender fingers of Ciel's free hand work on unbuttoning his pants to release the painfully throbbing erection of the older male. It practically jumped out of the boxers, leaking precum in long, thick beading threads. Ciel reached between them, collected some of the translucent liquid and smeared it over Sebastian's parted lips. Licking it off caused Sebastian's dick to jerk at the feeling of Ciel's warm tongue, leisurely lapping at the swollen lips.

The interrupting knock on the door was rude and made both males grunt with despair.

"Mister Phantomhive, is Mister Michaelis in with you by any chance? We have been looking all over for him."

Ciel pushed forward, sheathing his fingers entirely and hitting the prostate dead-on. He loved the surprised expression on Sebastian's face as he slapped a hand over his mouth to muffle the heated cry that welled up in his throat. Fires burned in the crimson eyes, both from anger and passion.

"Yes, he's in here. We were practicing the song we're supposed to play," Ciel answered, moving his fingers a little and enduring the helpless writhing of Sebastian in his lap.

"Good. We are ready for you in five minutes," the producer told him. They heard his footsteps move away and when there was no more sound on the other end of the door, Sebastian dropped his hand to scream at him. Before he could even begin, Ciel reached out his neck and kissed the parted lips, silencing him by pushing his tongue into Sebastian's mouth.

"Let us save the games for later," Ciel whispered against the trembling lips. "Now don't you go and loose that gorgeous expression. I want to see so much more of it when I claim my rightful position again."

Sebastian could've died of embarrassment but he just nodded like an obedient dog. In a sarcastic tone of voice, he spoke words that had never crossed his lips before.

"Yes, my Lord."

* * *

Ah, the tiny references to the manga, the dominant and sexy Ciel (if I might say so myself)

Yes people, to help some things out of the way and maybe lose some of my readers, reviewers. I do not believe in the uke/seme theory, because that shit doesn't fly in real life either. I think I do not have to tell people how I know that, because I think it is rather self-explanatory. So, please, do expect to find Ciel fucking Sebastian in a future chapter. If you have some issues with my story lacking the typically cliché casting, this is your chance to leave and never look back.

Thank you for reading. Period!

_Oh, to answer a question I believe was in the reviews somewhere. The song, Anywhere, it is a fabrication of my own imagination so you cannot read it anywhere (hehe, typical) I bet there are song that are equally titled Anywhere but those are not mine and I don't put a claim on them._

**Quick update on A/N:** Dear readers, I just got a review and it got me thinking. Is there too much smut in this story? I mean... I was actually quite enjoying it but I don't want this to be mindless porn, and I thought it was quite noticeable that there is more to MM than just smut. I use it as a tool to determine the position of the relationship Ciel and Sebastian are in. Ciel is in love with Sebastian, he said so himself, and the only control he has over Sebastian is through sex. So, he uses that, a lot, just to be close to him. But, if you believe this is just meaningless porn without a story, I am failing horribly. I should reconsider my options than...


	13. Act 37

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

I'm feeling good, and because I do, I thought I might share that with all of you.

Another nice rate of reviews, I would love to see that stay that way! Oh, my dear readers, thank all of you for the supportive words and not feeling hateful about our little Ciel mounting Sebastian in the future. I mean, when you see that delicious face of his as an adult in the Alice in Wonderland OVA, one cannot help but see that fuck Sebastian, because yes, you can safely assume Ciel looks like that in this story. Why didn't I think of it before.

As for a question in the reviews. About the switch applying to Claude and Alois as well. No, no-no-no-nonono... no. Although I would love to see that magic happen, Alois needs to be fucked, and I cannot imagine Claude bowing to his dominance, because the dear boy doesn't have a dominant bone in his lean body.

Once again, let's tame this shrew.

O.

_Spelling check will follow, after I listened to that gorgeous voice of J.M. Tatum doing Sebastian whisper words of malicious evil to me_

* * *

"We just have the biggest and the best here. We have on this stage, in mere moments, the hottest upcoming new band in country since the million dollar quartet."

"This is it," Claude murmured in Sebastian's ear. "From here on out, no more mistake."

"They are quite the amazing foursome, having their first released single already ranking the top of the charts in not only the States, but also Europe and Asia."

Sebastian glanced sideways and rolled his eyes. "I think I am very much aware of that, since you have been telling me this since we left home."

"I mean it Sebastian. Rectify this mistake you made with Phantomhive, and I will leave the two of you alone."

His interest piqued, Sebastian turned his head and arched an eyebrow at the golden eyes.

"What is the catch?"

Claude smirked and repositioned his glasses with his forefinger.

"That you find him one as well."

"Today, they are not only here to talk about their upcoming album, but also about the forming of their band and many more. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for the Funtom Company."

Sebastian and Claude gazed each other in the eye, unaware they were already announced and supposed to go on stage until Alois hissed at them.

"We're up, idiots, so stop glancing enamored at each other and get a fucking move on."

Ciel's eyebrows shot up in surprise. This was the first time he got to see what Alois was like sober. Claude had forbade him to smoke any illegal substance before the show and after last nights' fiasco in the bar, the blonde seemed to have agreed on it. With the foul attitude he was sporting at the moment, it was not for the better.

"Right," Claude cleared his throat and gave Sebastian a soft shove in the small of his back. The minute he set foot on the stage, the crowd, that consisted mainly of females, went wild. Sebastian slapped a wide and handsome grin on his lips and walked on.

Ciel couldn't help but stare. It came so natural to Sebastian, and his moves were graceful and intimidating. The unflattering bright studio lights that beat down on them and seemed to burn all the people in the first few rows, had little to no effect on his beauty. After Claude and Alois walked out, greeted in the same manner, Ciel took a deep breath and told himself to put his right foot in front of his left. The moment his converse was exposed to the light, an overwhelming acclamation went through the audience. He grinned, equally as handsome as Sebastian had done and walked to Lorraine Cook.

"Ciel. How wonderful to see you again."

She smiled broad and spread her arms. They were sort of old acquaintances and she greeted him as such, with a warm and well meant hug.

"It's good to be back, Lorraine," he lied with a straight face. If there was anything Ciel hated about being famous, it was the forced live interviews. He hadn't gained enough glory to act like Mick Jagger or Steven Tyler, but it was expected of him that he was carefree and charmingly entertaining. He was sure, without the shadow of a doubt, that Sebastian nailed this quality as well.

"Please, sit down," Lorraine gestured to the comfortable seats and took her own place opposite them.

"We have so many questions for you so we are going to run fast through them to get to all of them," Lorraine declared, picking up her cue cards. "But first," she leaned forward. "Welcome back to the studio Ciel…"

Even mentioning his name was enough for the fan girls to have a major fit and chant his name. He grinned, a soft chuckle rising from his lips while a raised his hand in a faked shy greeting manner.

"How does it make you feel, being back in the country business but with such a different, and might I add, extremely handsome new setting."

"It feels a little bit like coming home," Ciel told her, earning yet another deafening applause. It was almost starting to get annoying.

"Now," Lorraine shifted in her seat again and offered the four of them a wide smile. "This must be something entirely different from the rock and roll life you three used to live."

Claude took it upon himself to answer, afraid Sebastian might spill too much of the goods, and he did a wonderful job at it. He was charming for a change, and could actually summon a smile or two and didn't shy back when Lorraine reached forward and teasingly slapped his knee. Ciel did see Alois's eyes stare daggers at the hand she briefly placed on Claude's upper leg.

"Now, I would like to bring up something that I believe everybody, including me, would love to know," she turned to the small table next to her chair and picked up a newspaper.

"Here we go," Claude hissed through gritted teeth. Sebastian just inhaled and ignored him.

Ciel was not aware of what was just exchanged between the two older males and could only frown puzzled at what the hostess was doing. When she unfolded and opened the newspaper, his breath hitched in his throat. There, on page six, his affair with Sebastian was displayed for the entire world to see. He sucked fresh air into his lungs and now only knew why his mother had been so cheerful this morning. His eyes shot to the front row and Rachel held up two thumbs with the biggest, most goofy smile on her lips. Vincent had slapped his hand over his eyes and shook his head, muttering what were curses no doubt.

"This picture," Lorraine showed it to the audience that went wild. "Do you care to explain this, Sebastian?"

All eyes fell on the handsome, raven haired male. He didn't twitch, or break a sweat. He smiled charmingly while he started to form an answer that would satisfy them.

"I can be very frank and short about that picture," he took the paper from her hands and studied it for a moment. Ciel was sure he was going to say it was a fake.

"It was taken last night, while we were out celebrating our new success. It was a honest, drunken mistake. Ciel and I are good friends and leaning into me to tell me something ridiculous is now displayed as us, having homosexual affairs. It is the media, and we should've known better, but that was all there was too it, besides…" He handed the paper back and ran a hand through his locks. "I bet everybody who knows me from the Black Butler period, knows I am in a committed relationship."

Ciel could barely hide his surprise when Sebastian gestured to the black haired girl he saw earlier. She was sitting in the front row, a dazzling smile on her red lips. It seemed to mock him, even though she wasn't looking at him. Ciel felt his stomach turn when Lorraine asked the young lady to step up. She was gorgeous indeed, her long legs clad in worn jeans and beige cowboy boots. The question if they could pull up another chair was answered by Sebastian pulling her into his lap and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"You don't have a problem with your boyfriend being displayed like this in the media?"

She shrugged, and Ciel noticed the heavy English accent while she started to talk.

"I don't. I have been with Sebastian for almost four years now and there have been worse rumors made up about him. But, like he always says… what do you say again, darling?"

"I always quote one of the most influential artists of our days. Just because you read it in a magazine or see it on a tv-screen don't make it factual."

Lorraine grinned broad. "Very well spoken, that was Michael Jackson, wasn't it?"

"It was indeed, Lorraine."

"Come on, can we have a big applause for this gorgeous couple," Lorraine said, putting her hands together at Ciel's downfall.

Ciel hadn't even heard her name while Sebastian announced her. All he could see was the wide grin on his lip, and all he heard were the words _committed relationship _that kept circling through his mind, taunting him.

He had never even bothered to stop and think if Sebastian was even available at all and that this was the reason why he kept Ciel at such a distance. The remainder of the show passed in a blur of automatic answers and faked smiles. Half way through, Sebastian had looked at him and Ciel thought he could see a glimpse of worry flicker through the crimson eyes. It was probably the concern whether Ciel would tell Sebastian's girlfriend about their close relations, and Ciel decided then and there that he would never do anything to harm Sebastian, even if it broke him.

The mortifying disaster couldn't have been over soon enough. After they played a set of freshly recorded songs and their number one hit, Lorraine made them swear to come back and promised to support them in the competition.

* * *

Sebastian looked up from his beer when he heard a knock on the door of his dressing room. Ciel entered only after Sebastian had opened the door himself.

"I've been waiting for you," Sebastian told him in a seductive voice and placed his hand high on the frame while bending down to look Ciel in the eye. His bedroom glance shifted quickly to worry when he saw Ciel's apathetic expression.

"What's wrong?"

Ciel clenched his fists next to his body and felt the band of his ring dig in the skin of his palm.

"I am sorry if I forced myself on you. I didn't know you have a girlfriend…" He began apologizing.

Worry went to knowing and Sebastian groaned his name. Ciel didn't listen.

"…She's really lovely. I'm sure you two will be very happy together…"

"Ciel, will you just listen to me for a minute. It is not like that at all, it's…"

Ciel ignored him and continued with what he came to say as if Sebastian's wasn't trying to explain the situation.

"You know, you could've just told me you were seeing someone. I wouldn't have minded and would've backed off. I didn't want to force you into doing anything you didn't want to."

"Ciel," Sebastian grabbed his shoulders and gently shook him. "Will you just shut the fuck up for a moment and let me explain."

Ciel just shrugged the hands off and took a step back.

"It's just… it fucking hurts that you never told me. I don't know if I can get passed this," he stared at his shoes. "Perhaps it would be best if we don't speak for awhile," he turned to walk away and hide the fine film of tears that blurred his vision. Sebastian grabbed his wrist, yanked him into the room and pinned him against the wall, trapping the younger male between his body and the wallpaper.

"There is no other," he told him before he kissed him hard.

Ciel struggled for a moment until he could do nothing else but give in. He knotted his hands in the raven bangs and moaned needy into the aggressive mouth.

"There is no other," Sebastian rasped against the quivering lips, both taking an erratic breath before losing themselves in passion again.

"Excuse me, but I'm still in the room, you know."

Ciel's eye cracked open and he harshly shoved Sebastian away. The woman from the show sat on the couch, holding a jug of beer. Her arms were crossed over her richly endowed breasts and her eyes studied them amused.

"If you want to fuck, I'll just leave the room," she stated bluntly, putting the jug down. "Or, I can join, whatever suits the two of you."

Ciel's jaw dropped and he snapped a hand at her while looking at Sebastian, silently demanding an explanation for the woman on the couch. His eye was wide open and his mouth moved, but Ciel didn't seem to know how to react.

Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed weary.

"Beast," he said in a warning tone of voice. "That is not funny."

"Who the hell is she?" Ciel finally blurted out. "This seriously isn't fucking funny!"

"I actually think it is quite amusing," Beast said, twirling one of her curls around her perfectly manicured fingers.

"I am so fucking out of here," Ciel snapped, turning on his heel. Sebastian called his name and grabbed his arm.

"Would you fucking relax and you," he snapped a warning finger at Beast. "Shut the fuck up."

She shrugged, throwing her hands behind her head and sat back.

"She's my cousin," Sebastian told the foul looking Ciel.

Ciel blinked. "Cousin?"

"Yes, as in blood related," Sebastian elaborated.

Ciel's expression went from angry to completely shocked and repulsed.

"That's fucking disgusting, Sebastian! Having such relations with your family is against the law."

"She plays my girlfriend, you idiot," Sebastian whacked Ciel against the back of his head. "Get your mind out of the fucking gutter, pervert."

Ciel blinked at them again. Beast smiled wide and nodded, silently confirming what Sebastian just told him.

"She," Ciel lifted a finger. "She plays your girlfriend?"

"Yes, she does, at public events and such. She's happily married and Joker is kind enough to extent me the courtesy of lending her to me as a cover."

"…"

"Feeling pretty stupid now, don't you?" Sebastian mocked, smiling at Ciel's dumbfounded expression.

"No I don't, you fucking idiot!" Ciel snapped while waving an accusing finger at him. "If you would've just fucking told me you were using your cousin as a cover, I wouldn't have had to worry about you seeing someone else."

"I could've," Sebastian admitted with a nonchalant shrug. "But there was no time before the show."

"No time? No time! How about when I had my fingers up your fucking ass," Ciel shouted, not caring if Beast heard about their intimate relations minutes before the show. She glared with wide-set eyes at her younger cousin, a grin gradually curling her lips.

"My, my Sebastian, you dirty little demon. I never would've expected you'd let anyone near your precious virgin hole," she stood, walked over and leaned on his shoulder. "How was it?" She mused, gently nudging his chin with her fist.

"Shut up," Sebastian growled, heavily irritated with Ciel at this moment, especially when the younger male had the nerve to smirk about his own revelation.

"Could you leave us?" Sebastian asked.

"Is that question?"

"Not as much as it is an order."

She raised her hands in defense. "Alright, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone. Joker is picking me up anyway," she harshly wrapped an arm around her cousin's neck and pulled him in to press a kiss on his cheek.

"See you soon, don't forget Peter's Halloween school play end of this month, he's expecting his favorite cousin to drop by," she told him from the entrance.

Sebastian waved it away, muttering he would consider it and barked at her to get the hell out after that. She mocked him, saying he was so touchy and that a good dick up his ass might release some of that built up tension. Ciel chuckled at her wittiness and stood back when Sebastian launched a pillow at her. It was the first immature act he had seen the older male commit, and the childish grin on Sebastian's lips fascinated him immensely.

"Love you too," Beast joked, blowing him a kiss. "It was nice to meet you Ciel, be gentle with our Holy Mary, ok?"

"Out!" Sebastian snarled, launching a second pillow at the door that hit a confused Alois straight in the face. Before the blonde could throw the from drugs deprived tantrum that had been building up in him since this morning, Ciel shut the door.

* * *

"Stupid broad," Sebastian groaned while sinking down on the couch, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger while he threw his head back against the seating.

"I like her," Ciel commented, sitting across from him and picking up the jug of beer she had left behind. "You two would've made a good couple," he taunted, flopping his feet down on the table.

Sebastian cracked one eye open and peered at him. "That might still happen. Nothing is written in stone yet," he poked Ciel.

The younger male snarled at him and took a sip of beer.

"So, why do you have a fake girlfriend?"

"For occasions such as these," Sebastian stated shortly.

"But I really don't get it. Why wouldn't you want people to know that you are gay?"

"Because, being gay when you're a rock star is generally fairly accepted. They don't really enjoy the idea but it's not that big of an issue. Being gay while in a country band, that is a whole different story. Our audience is not really accepting of the _manlove_," he used his fingers as quotation marks.

Ciel thought about it for a moment before he nodded. "Yes, that does sound reasonably logical," he agreed.

"Claude thinks it would be wise if you got yourself a fake girlfriend too, just so we'll be able to keep up the entire charade."

"Hell no!"

"He'll leave us alone if you do this."

"… For real?"

"Even if he's a charming bit of hypocrisy, he always keeps his words."

"Alright," Ciel agreed, emptying the jug in one sip and setting it down. He leaned on his knees and laced his fingers together. "How does one go about finding a fake girlfriend."

"You don't have any female friends that know you're gay and would be willing to help you cover it for the outside world."

"I don't really have a lot of friends in general."

Sebastian hummed and cusped his chin. "Why don't I find that hard to believe."

"Shut up," Ciel laughed, aiming and throwing a pillow his way. Sebastian caught it easily and disregarded it to the floor. Ciel narrowed his eyes and stared at the table. There was one option he could consider but he wasn't sure if he wanted to go so far as to ask Lizzy to fake being his girlfriend. He knew she would do it within a heartbeat, but he was afraid he might actually be taking advantage of her minor crush on him.

"You got someone in mind?" Sebastian asked him, dragging him out of his trail of thoughts.

"I actually do," Ciel said, realizing he didn't have much other options. "I'm sure she'll be more than happy to play my girlfriend."

"Good," Sebastian mused, crooking his finger and beckoning Ciel to come over with a come-hither look in his crimson eyes. "Now, let's not worry about that for now and let me make it up to you," he told him in a lustful tone of voice.

Ciel pushed himself up and slowly made his way over, unbuttoning his cardigan while rounding the table. Sebastian rolled up his sleeves, turning Ciel on by the sight of the bare forearms and the tattoo he had come to know and love. Stopping in front of him, Sebastian parted his legs, hooked a finger behind the band of Ciel's jeans and pulled him closer while sitting up himself. For a moment, he buried his nose in the piece of clothing, inhaling Ciel's scent before he pushed the cardigan and shirt up and pressed a kiss just below the naval.

Ciel groaned happily, tangling his fingers in the coal-black locks and staring down at the older male. Sebastian looked up to meet Ciel's gaze while he slowly dragged his tongue over the fine stripe of hair that trailed down Ciel's abdomen and disappeared in his boxers.

"Come here, baby," he hooked his fingers through the belt loops and pulled Ciel onto his lap. Straddling Sebastian, Ciel moaned while the older male slapped and squeezed his ass. He threw his head back, exposing the skin of his throat.

"So fucking firm," Sebastian murmured against the soft skin of Ciel's neck, making the younger male shiver. Ciel grabbed a handful of Sebastian's hair and tugged it, tilting his head back so that he could look him in the eye.

"Something the matter?"

Ciel pressed his lips together and studied the expression on Sebastian's face.

"Don't ever pull a stunt like this again, ok?"

Sebastian mashed his brows together and said nothing for a moment or two. Ciel was already starting to regret his demand when a smile curled Sebastian's lips and he gave Ciel a short nod, giving him a sort of conformation.

"Good," Ciel mumbled and leaned down to brush his lips over Sebastian's.

A soft knock on the door disturbed their moment and as if struck by lightning, Ciel jumped off Sebastian's lap and nearly teleported to the other side of the room. Sebastian shook his head with a chuckle.

"Idiot," he muttered, earning a hateful sneer of Ciel.

"Mister Michaelis, we are ready to take the promotion pictures. Is Mister Phantomhive with you."

"He is, we'll be there momentarily," Sebastian answered while standing. He leisurely walked over to Ciel and cut his speech off by pressing his hands under the younger male's jaw and kissing his lips softly.

"We should get going," Ciel murmured, clinging to Sebastian's shoulders. The raven haired male nodded, brushing his mouth over Ciel's and gently blowing over the lips.

"We should."

Deciding he didn't want to go weak every time Sebastian cared to spare him some administrations, Ciel forced himself to take control of the situation and took a step back. He tipped his head back, his navy locks covering his eye patch.

"We have to go Sebastian," he told him resolute.

The older male smiled, basking in the glory of seeing Ciel grow a little older and more responsible in that one moment. He nodded, accepted the fact that his throbbing dick would have to wait until later and followed Ciel to the door.

* * *

"Elizabeth."

The blonde looked up from her lunch and squealed excitedly. Jumping to her feet, she practically hurled herself at Ciel.

"You're here! You're finally here! I missed you so much! I was so glad when you called, we haven't talked in ages… I'm really mad at you for not calling me sooner."

Ciel snorted, rolled his eyes and shoved the girl away until she was on an appropriate distance.

"I haven't even been gone for three weeks, would you calm it down a little," he straightened his jumper and put his hands on his hips. "Is there somewhere private where we can talk?"

"Mhmm," Lizzy clasped her hands together and batted her eyelashes at him. "This way," she grabbed his hand and dragged him down the lawn of the university.

In a tiny gazebo, remote from other eating students, Ciel popped the question. She blinked at him at first, seemingly not sure how to react.

"So…" She cocked her head a little, looking somewhat like an owl. "You want me to be your fake girlfriend? So I'll be on television and such."

Ciel regretted his decision instantly and fingered his forehead.

"It was a stupid idea, Lizzy. Just, forget about it," he yelped involuntarily when Lizzy squealed excitedly and grabbed his hands, pressing them in her lap.

"Yes… yes, yes, YES! I'll do it. Of course I'll do it silly," she giggled, squeezing her eyes shut and offering him a wide smile. "I am so honored that you thought of me," she went on, tapping his nose in an affectionate manner.

Ciel felt a sweat drop trickle down his temple and his eye twitched, but he didn't bother to tell Lizzy that she was, shy from his mother and aunt, his only option.

"So, I'll be having to dress like a girlfriend now," she placed her finger against her chin and rolled her eyes to the ceiling of the stone gazebo. "And I wouldn't be able to date other guys, because then people would find out."

"You're allowed to date, as long as you don't shove your tongue down another guy's throat your perfectly entitled to do whatever you please," Ciel told her, cupping his cheek and leaning on his knee while he saw her eyes sparkle a little more with every deluded fantasy she came up with.

"I am so going to regret this," he murmured, offering Lizzy a fake smile while she told him about buying matching shirts that said _I with him_ and _I'm with her_.

"Yes, I am so fucking hard going to regret this," he muttered once more, burying his face in his hand while he tried to block out Lizzy's excited chirping.

* * *

NO SMUT! I know, I was proud/shocked/appalled/dumbfounded as well. But, no worries my sweets, there will be smut coming up, this time wrapped up a lovely chocolate glaced donut package. And that is all I am going to say about that.

Alright, another teeny spoiler; it'll be an Alois and Claude scene. JEEJ! All hail Claude's glorious dick!

Review, review, review _AND_ **review**. It's that little box underneath here and I know you want it and it'll take mere moments out of your precious day to make this writer a happy camper... Period!


	14. Act 41

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

I know, I updated approximately 12 hours ago... but, I am going to take a break for a week or so, re-thinking shit and looking back at everything I have written so far to determine whether I am really happy with it or not. Besides that, I think I need a little more inspiration. I know exactly where I am going but, I just need to take a step back and see how I am going to get there.

But, in order to leave with a good concious, and not leave you all hanging on the Alois/Claude scene, I am going to give it to you. Yes, I want raving reviews because I am crazy in love with this scene. I am in love with Claude and that automatically makes me very fond of Alois as well. Also, a very sweet Ciel/Sebastian moment and some Vincent/Rachel time!

Enjoy, my loveable minions.

O.

_Spelling check will follow tonight, after work and food and sleep!_

* * *

After Ciel had asked Lizzy to be his fake girlfriend, the girl was everywhere. They couldn't go a day without her twittering voice and hyperactive actions. It had been three days now, and with the time pressure of writing and recording two more songs, the last thing they needed was an annoying blonde hanging around Ciel all the time. The one that was most affected by her irritating manners was Alois, who, after taking direct orders from Claude, had been without joint for five whole days.

At night, he would wake up, itching all over. It was a persistent itch that did not go away, no matter how hard he scratched. One night, Claude had woken up to his blonde partner scratching his chest, blood trickling from the marks his polished nails had left. The older male had seriously considered wrapping Alois's hands up in wash clothes, but the blonde had been too proud and refused, insisting that they would get in the way of random night groping.

Tonight, was one of those nights Alois was scratching himself till blood came. Claude felt around his nightstand until he found his glasses. Positioning them on his nose, he asked in a fairly annoyed tone of voice if Alois could keep the mutilating down.

The blonde snapped his head to the right, snarled and barked that it was his fault. Claude stared motionless at him for a moment or two, before he sighed and leaned in, placing his forehead against the pouting blonde's.

"You're right baby, I'm sorry," he admitted, reaching up to caress Alois's cheek with his thumb.

"Well," Alois bit snide. "Sorry is not going to cover it. I need some sort of a fix. Now!"

Claude mashed his brows together, pressed a kiss on the parted lips and threw the blankets off.

"What are you doing?" Alois's blue eyes followed him while he moved through the dark. Claude yanked some sweatpants and a shirt out of his closet and put them on.

"Claude, I didn't mean it like that," Alois said, his voice going from angry to pleading in seconds. "I don't want you to leave, please… I'll stop bitching."

Claude reached into the cupboard once more and Alois yelped involuntarily when he threw something his way. A pair of white tennis shorts landed on his blonde locks, and a green polo followed.

"Put those on," Claude told him mysteriously, bending down to tie the laces of his high sneakers.

Alois complied and quickly worked himself into the clothing. He slipped his feet into a pair of brown loafers and followed Claude out of the room.

"Where are we going?" Alois asked, his interest piqued while Claude walked out and to his car.

"You'll see, all good comes to pretty boys who are patient," Claude told him, making him blush and coo over how sweet his _boyfriend_ was being. Claude didn't even bother to remind him that he was not his boyfriend, put the car in drive and pulled up.

* * *

He parked his car in a busy street down town. Even around three in the morning, the streets were filled with people, mostly young men and women who went clubbing. Claude got out, rounded the car and helped the blonde out. In his attempt to be as kind to the blonde as he could be, Claude let Alois cling to his arm while they walked down the street, ignoring the funny and even dirty stares they got.

"We're here," Claude opened a door for him. Alois clasped his hands against his cheeks, his eyes lightening up as he looked up at the neon lights above the door.

"Dunkin' Donuts," he chirped, turning to Claude. "But you hate donuts."

Claude smiled and leaned in. "But you don't, and I want to let you know how much I appreciate it that you're listening to me for once. Now," he slapped Alois on the ass. "Get you pretty bum in there and order anything you want."

Alois squealed happily and darted in, followed by an amused Claude. The blonde ordered at least a dozen different flavors, mostly ones with either chocolate or lemon, and a large Oreo Coolatta. Claude settled for a cup of regular coffee but after Alois kept insisting, he ordered some chocolate glazed munchkins as well.

For ten minutes, Alois was in donut heaven and in between bites, he kept saying how sweet it was of Claude to take him here at three in morning. Claude had his cheek propped up against his hand and just stared at the blonde, a mysterious smile curling his lips. Alois determined that either his boyfriend thought he was a total freak for hovering down such large quantities of sweets or Claude was genuinely happy he made Alois happy.

Alois's good mood didn't last long and after his sixth donut and second liquid Oreo drink, he began bitching all over again.

"You're such a conniving bitch you know that? Forbidding me to have my joints. I have health issues, you know!" Alois snapped, showering Claude with crumbs of lemon meringue pie filling and snatching some of his untouched munchkins away.

Claude just let him ramble on, taking leisure sips of his steaming coffee and checking the boy at the register every now and then. He seemed to be recognizing them from somewhere, but with Alois's cheeks all bulging like a hamster and all kinds of stuffing residues on his face, Claude could only assume it would be hard to recognize his normally very attractive mate. After ten minutes or so, the boy gave up and after one quick look around the empty shop, he told Claude that he would be out for a smoke. It was that one opportunity Claude had been waiting for and he turned his eyes to smile at Alois.

"You're a stuck-up, bourgeois, media horny asshole," Alois ranted on, stuffing his eight donut between his teeth. "Because of you, I will grow fat and then you won't like me anymore. You know what, I am just going to grow fat, and ugly and I will force you to stay with me! And if you even think about running away, I'll sit on you… I swear Claude," he snapped a finger at him. "If you dare try running away, I will nnhhaaa!"

Alois jerked in the booth, shoved back on the couch and blinked surprised at the foot between his legs. Claude's shoes was pressing against the blonde's dick, and the mere sight of it was already enough to make him erect.

"What are you doing?" Alois hissed, his eyes shooting around the shop.

Claude placed his elbows on the with dancing baking goods decorated table cloth and laced his hands under his chin.

"Making it so you'll shut up and forgive. I thought it was always your fantasy, getting sucked off in a Dunkin Donuts shop."

"Getting sucked… wait, Claude!" Alois breathed frantically when his partner slid under the table. He felt his cool fingertips and warm tongue run up his bare legs and his breath hitched in his throat when Claude suckled on the sensitive spot at the back of his knee.

"Claude, c'mon," Alois hissed through gritted teeth. "This is not the time and place," he continued, placing both his hands on the bench and kneading the soft cushions. "I'm trying to be mad at you, idiot!"

His body jerked and Claude tugged at the tennis shorts and Alois slapped a hand over his mouth when the tongue of his boyfriend slowly trailed over the length of his rigid shaft.

"So stiff, already," he heard Claude's voice taunting him from below, and Alois bit down a moan when Claude's finger flicked over the pink head of the dick. "You're leaking baby, not very decent, making such a mess for those employees to clean."

"Shut the fuck up," Alois tried to snarl in a harsh tone. It came out in a throaty grunt instead when Claude lapped at the glans of the cock, teasing the slit with the tip of his tongue.

"Are you ok, Sir? Can I get you anything else?"

Alois snapped his head to the counter. The register boy had returned from his smoke and was suspiciously studying Alois's flustered expression.

"N-No…" Alois swallowed a moan. "I'm good, thanks."

"Are you alright, Sir," the boy rounded the counter and walked over. "You look pretty flustered. Aren't you feeling ok?"

Alois grabbed the tablecloth, gathering and fumbling up the fabric in his hand, hoping that the boy would not notice Claude's absence, or even worse, his feet, sticking out from under the table.

"I'm f-fine… really," Alois tried to smile. "Could you get me glass of water or something."

He smiled and nodded. "Of course, Sir. I probably should've warned you not to eat all those donuts at once. I would feel a bit queasy too after that."

Alois laughed awkwardly and bit his tongue when Claude engulfed the entire length of his dick and massaged his balls, one finger teasingly pressing against the twitching asshole.

"Y-Yeah… oh," Alois bit his tongue once more, now tasting the coppery flavor of his own blood. "I probably shouldn't have done that."

The boy arched an eyebrow and watched suspiciously while Alois tried not to buck his hips into the sucking mouth. He felt the pressure built up inside his body and he was going to come soon, even with the boy staring down on him, or better yet, probably because they were doing such explicit things in front of an audience.

"I'll just get you that water than," the boy said insecure, turning on his heels and walking back to the register.

Alois tangled his hands into the soft bangs that framed Claude's face and tugged at them, showing his appreciation for the exquisite head he was giving. The moment Alois thrusted his hips up, forcing his entire length into Claude's mouth, and Claude pushed a finger inside Alois's ass, the blonde came. He threw his head back, gasping at the ceiling. One hand clenched the tablecloth hard and the other held Claude's head in place while he shot his load into the hot mouth.

The boy came back, put the water down and walked away without a word. He must've noticed the tortured mixture of embarrassment and desire in the blonde's eyes while he kept milking his semen into Claude's mouth. As he disappeared in the storage room again, Alois hissed Claude should get up.

With a most triumphant grin, Claude got up from under the table and slid into the seat next to Alois.

"You motherfucking shit ass, I will get you for this," Alois snapped in a hushed tone of voice. Claude ignored him, cupped his chin and pressed his lips on the blonde's. Forcing them apart with his tongue, Claude let some of the seed he had kept in his mouth trickle down into Alois's mouth. Tasting his own arousal, Alois got all stiff again.

"Shall we go?" He panted when they broke apart to take an erratic breath. Claude narrowed his eyes a little and nodded.

"After you," he told Alois. The blonde slipped out of the booth and held out his hand. Claude took it and wrapped an arm around Alois's shoulders after.

"Are you sure there isn't anything else I can do…" The boy blinked at the empty store. He growled, shook his head and cursed fucking homo's before walking to the table to clean up their mess.

* * *

"What are you doing?"

Ciel groaned annoyed and slapped a hand at his forehead when Lizzy leaned on his back, looking over his shoulder while he was trying to work.

"I am still trying to write a song, like I've been trying for three hours straight now with you asking me same damned question every fucking five minutes. It is proven to be really hard with you snorting down my neck."

"But, I'm bored," she whined, humpfing and crossing her arms. "I didn't come here to watch you work the entire time. You shouldn't have invited me over if you weren't going to spend any time with me."

"That is just fucking it, Elizabeth. I didn't fucking invite you over. You came on your own while I told you to stay the fuck away, but you never fucking listen."

She stomped her foot and perched her hands on her hips while bending down to scream in his ear.

"Well, excuse me for being a caring girlfriend."

Ciel gritted his teeth and clenched his pencil so tight it near broke.

Lizzy snapped a finger up and closed her eyes while she lectured on. "Your friends don't mind that I am here, right guys?"

"If there was a possibility to commit a perfect crime and kill you, I would," Alois answered calmly. He was draped over the table, pale as a dishcloth. He had been puking chocolate-like puke the entire morning and he swore every two minutes that he would never eat donuts again.

"I was just going to ask if you possibly could've sniffed out a more annoying human being," Claude repositioned his glasses with his forefinger while thumbing through promotion material. "I am actually starting to regret ever asking you to have a fake girlfriend."

Sebastian had been slumping in his chair, ignoring all of them for a good half an hour now. With a manga pocket covering his eyes, his legs stretched and a cigarette loosely between his lips, he had been able to block out Lizzy and get a short nap.

"Oi, Michaelis," Claude kicked his leg. Sebastian jerked and yanked the book off his eyes.

"What?" He snarled, ash whirling down from his smoke and landing on his jeans.

"I'm paying you to work, not to nap. I told you to go and get some sleep instead of playing those damned videogames all night."

Sebastian growled, pushed himself up and sauntered to the fridge. He pulled another can of energy drink out of the door, opened it and threw it back. Ciel angled his head and licked his lips when he saw the Adam's apple move with every sip Sebastian took.

"Sebas-chan, you don't mind that I'm here, right?" Lizzy batted her eyes at him, her hands clasped together and her entire demeanor begging him to say no. Sebastian arched an eyebrow at her.

"Sebas-chan? Where the fuck are? Fucking Japan! I would like for you to call me by my normal name."

"But it is so cute!" Lizzy insisted.

"I'm not cute," Sebastian told her bluntly, walking back to the table and sinking down in his seat opposite Ciel.

"That is a blatant lie," Ciel said, smiling seductively and lacing his hands under his chin.

"Shut up," Sebastian murmured, turning his head so he wouldn't have to look at Ciel's bedroom eye. Ever since Claude gave them his permission, the younger male had grabbed every chance to flirt with him.

"We're back," Rachel walked into the kitchen, carrying a box with vegetables and flowers. Vincent followed suit, dragging four shopping bags along. Rachel put the groceries down and turned to the kitchen table. "How are the preparations going?"

"Awful," Ciel commented.

"Horrible," Claude added.

"Remove that thing from my side, she's revolting," Alois groaned, snapping a finger at Lizzy who was poking his head to check if he was still alive.

"We're doing the best we can," Sebastian finished, offering Rachel a wide smile while standing. "Do you need some help putting that away?"

"Oh Sebastian," Ciel sighed annoyed when his mother ogled all over his manners. "You are such a well-raised young man. If only Ciel had the same perfect manners. I tried to teach him but he refused to listen to me. He's not a good boy like you are."

"Lap dog you mean," Ciel muttered under his breath, earning a more than deadly glare from Sebastian. It fell the instant he turned to Ciel's beaming mother.

"You are too kind," Sebastian smiled, putting the fresh vegetables in the bottom drawer of the fridge. As Rachel and Lizzy glide after Sebastian while he put the groceries away, Vincent sank down at the table and pulled some of the music sheets his way.

"This is rubbish. I hope you boys know the deadline is two days from now. We are supposed to record the entire album by the end of the week and release it starting the next."

"Sure dad, we weren't aware of it," Ciel snarled, throwing his pencil down. "Your condescending reminder is just what we needed to get the job done."

Vincent narrowed his eyes at his son, ignored him and read the second sheet.

"Now, this isn't half bad…" He said, tapping on the sheet and offering an encouraging smile.

"Those are the notes of _Anywhere_, dad!" Ciel groaned, fingering his painfully throbbing forehead.

"Oh…" Vincent blinked at the sheet, sighed and pushed it away. "Come on, boys. I'm sure you can come up with something brilliant in no time."

Ciel grabbed a sheet, penciled down some lines and shoved it his father's way. Vincent arched an eyebrow, picked it up and read the lines. He twitched, a vein pulsing on his forehead while he read the lines out loud.

"We hear the train is coming, and we tie her down on the rails. We gag her mouth to muffle the annoying death screams and watch as she vanishes under the wheels. We'll feast in her blood, and sing _the witch is no more. _Lizzy, you fucking pain in the ass, die, die, DIE!"

Alois lifted his head off the cool table, smirked and raised his thumb.

"I love it, guaranteed number one hit," he commented.

Vincent groaned while Claude picked the sheet up and read it over.

"Apart from the sinister truth in that, it could actually work. It has always been the point of country, basing your songs on your heart's desire," he commented dryly.

"You're all sick bastards," Vincent told them stern. His body jerked and he slowly turned to the chirping voice of the blonde as she cooed over how impossibly cute Ciel looked and how much he looked like his father. Vincent grabbed the sheet and pencil and doodled down some additional.

"There, that should work," he said, standing and turning to his wife. Ciel shoved the sheet Claude's way and the stoic raven haired male cracked a laugh over the gruesome added lines about binding a piece of rock to her feet, throw her in a tank of hungry white sharks and watch her get eaten.

"I'm going to be sick again," Alois groaned, grabbing his stomach and slapping a hand over his mouth while he made a run for the toilet. Claude sighed annoyed, stood and went after him to rub the blonde's back and wipe his mouth after. Rachel and Lizzy went after him, dotting over the poor sick blonde, leaving Sebastian and Ciel alone in the kitchen. The younger male sat back in his chair and tilted his head, shamelessly checking Sebastian out.

* * *

"Don't look so smug," Sebastian told him, putting the rest of the groceries away and walking back to the table with another energy drink. "You guys made any progress?"

Ciel shook his head and shoved the papers his way.

"This is getting quite bothersome," he said, putting his hands behind his head and staring at Sebastian while he read the lines over.

"How about this one," Sebastian lifted the sheet and tapped on a verse.

"You'd have to hold it closer, I cannot read it from here," Ciel told him annoyed. Sebastian acted fast, bend over the table and grabbed Ciel's collar. Holding the papers up to hide their faces behind, Sebastian kissed him. He brushed his tongue against Ciel's and sucked on the lower lip. Breaking apart, he smirked satisfied at the flustered expression on Ciel's face.

"That close enough?" He asked him in a husk tone of voice. Ciel nodded breathlessly and leaned in, parting his lips to receive another one of Sebastian's dazzling kisses.

"So needy," the older male chuckled, leaning and complying to the silent demand. Both ignored the heels that seemed to be coming closer and neither looked up when the door was pushed open.

"My, my. Isn't this a lovely sight to see."

Ciel and Sebastian gradually untangled from their embrace, the former briefly licking Sebastian's lips before he lowered the papers.

"Aunt Anne," Ciel addressed the woman in red. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," she told him, crossing arms and leaning against the frame. "I thought we had an appointment today but you never showed."

"Yeah," Ciel scratched the back of his head, muttering excuses. "We were really busy with writing two more songs and I was needed here. The deadline is this week and we need to finish it."

Anne arched an eyebrow. "Writing songs, is that what you kids call it these days?" She chuckled and shook her head. "Just, drop by next week," she told him.

"Sure, I will," Ciel's eyes followed her suspiciously as Anne walked forward. "Was that all?"

Anne shook her head and reached out her hand to Sebastian. "I don't believe we have met yet. My name is Angelina, I'm Ciel's aunt, and you must be Sebastian. I heard so much about you already."

"Aunt Anne!"

Sebastian smiled charmingly and shook her hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I am glad to know that Ciel has someone he can talk to about his problems," he turned his gaze to the younger male. "Someone other than me," he added with a wink.

Ciel's cheeks flushed, and it made Anne and Sebastian chuckle at his cuteness.

"If that was all, aunt," Ciel stood, turned her around and started to push her back to the kitchen door. "We still got a lot of work to do."

"Oh no," Anne's gloved hand grabbed the frame. "I would like to have a talk with you too, Sebastian, if that is ok with you."

Ciel twitched and pinched the bridge of his nose. Before he could retort that Sebastian didn't need a fucking fake psychiatrist, Sebastian gave an answer Ciel had not counted on.

"I would like that," he told her with a wide smile. Ciel's jaw dropped to the floor while he stared wide-eyed at the raven haired male.

"Splendid," Anne clasped her hands together. "Why don't you come in with Ciel next week, if that is convenient for you."

"Naturally."

"Good," Anne kissed Ciel's dumbfounded cheek and blew Sebastian a kiss. "I'll be seeing you two next week. Good luck with the writing."

With that, Anne was gone, and had left behind the most impossible tension Ciel and Sebastian ever had endured in their entire lives.

* * *

Dick action Alois/Claude, check! Ah, the poor sweet thing, all groggy and bothered with too many donuts.

Well, you know how it works my loves. And no cheating, if you haven't reviewed the previous chapter, go and do that before reviewing this. When I come back in a week, I want there to an overwhelming shitload of reviews that let me know how much you all missed me and appreciate me (haha, meh, just review the chapter)

Now my dear ones, until we meet again - till then, adieu, parting is such sweet sorrow.


	15. Act 43

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

Le gasp! I am back. So... who missed me?

.

.

Mmm, considering the response, I suppose I only missed all of you and sat on pins and needles, anxiously awaiting to launch this bitch and introduce you to the first of three slightly emotional scenes. Yes, alas, MM won't know many really sensitive scenes, because I think Sebastian is too phlegmatic for that kind of nattering. He would be the one to tell Ciel to quit doddling down in that hole and not the other way around.

I have been considering the option, for those who follow my DA might know of my change of plans, of changing the names of the characters and someday turn this into an original yaoi. But, those are still futuristic illusions, but I would love to hear your opinion on that.

Now... let's just get on with it. I expect a shit-bucket-full of reviews, because this is a long chapter.

No worries about TCM, it is not on a hiatus, I fully intend to update that little darling this weekend. I think we'd all love to know what will happen to Alois's poor, little molested hiney. And if Claude is going to kiss and make it better.

Onto taming the shrew! Cheerio...

O.

_Spelling check will follow, as always!_

* * *

Ciel's glance was hard and intense, like it was trying to intimidate Sebastian into not going to his aunt to talk. Sebastian just lifted an eyebrow while staring right back at him.

"What's the matter?"

"Why would you agree to go see my aunt?" Ciel spoke, throwing his arms into the air. "She might tell you things you're not supposed to know."

"Would you stop with the drama act and get off it. She's a psychiatrist, she took a pledge of secrecy when she became a doctor."

"You don't understand," Ciel ranted on, pacing through the kitchen and flailing his arms. "I know Anne and even is she took this so called pledge, she is the biggest gossip I know. She will talk, no matter what some board made her swear. She will talk, and I will look like an idiot and hmpf…" Ciel bumped into Sebastian's muscular torso. He looked up and met the puzzled glare of the dark eyes.

"Why would you look like an idiot?" Sebastian asked, arching an eyebrow.

Ciel dropped his head and glared sideways. "Not important," he muttered through gritted teeth.

"Yes," Sebastian cupped his chin and tipped his head back, forcing Ciel to look at him. "It is important, little diva."

"I am not a diva!" Ciel snarled. Sebastian chuckled and bend down to rub his nose against Ciel's.

"You're the biggest diva I know. You're even worse than Alois."

"I am not!"

"Are too."

"Shut up."

"Kiss me."

"No," Ciel crossed his arms. "Not after you called me that."

"Come on," Sebastian grabbed his waist and pulled him closer. "Little diva," he whispered before cutting Ciel's speech off with a soft peck on the lips.

"Why do you even want to see a psychiatrist?" Ciel asked his lips.

"Because I live in one house with Claude, Alois and Bard. I could actually use a psychiatrist."

"But she isn't even a real psychiatrist!"

"That doesn't matter."

"I don't want you to see her."

"What are you so afraid off?"

Ciel's rolled his eye to the left and pressed his lips together.

"Ciel?"

"It's nothing," Ciel pushed Sebastian away and strolled to the counter. He placed his hand on the cool countertop to try and steady his rapid heartbeat. It did not help. How could he go and tell Sebastian what he feared, if translating his fears might result in them becoming a reality. His body jerked in surprise when Sebastian placed his hands on his shoulders.

"What's the matter Ciel?" Sebastian bend down and placed his lips against the younger male's ear. "You can talk to me about anything."

Ciel breathed a laugh and clenched his fist. _Anything_ seemed so surreal. He couldn't talk to Sebastian about his crush on him, even if he was dying to, because he would lose him over that.

"Come on," Sebastian pushed. "I know something is going on. Why won't you just tell me. Getting it off your chest might make you feel better."

Getting it of his chest? Ciel chewed on the words. They were random, and anybody could've said them to him in this current situation, but the consequences of getting it off his chest to this particular person were too grave. He couldn't even fathom the idea of losing Sebastian over something as silly as his crush on him.

"I don't want to talk about it," Ciel said, shrugging the hands off and leaping forward to the fridge.

"Ciel," Sebastian reached forward to grab his wrist. The sound of flesh colliding with flesh was harsh and it surprised Ciel more than it did Sebastian. He had slapped Sebastian's hand away, for no particular reason. He chewed his lip as he took to staring at the marble floor.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, gazing up at Sebastian from below.

The crimson eyes just stared at him, no resentment or anger detectable in them. His smacked hand still hung in the air, the fingers reaching for Ciel's wrist. He didn't say anything, so Ciel felt the need to cut through the thick tension himself with accusations.

"I told you that I didn't want to talk about it. Why are you pushing me?"

Sebastian raised the hand that had hung in the air and combed the digits through his hair and placed it on the counter after.

"It's ok," he answered, his gaze softening and a sympathetic smile curling his lips. "I shouldn't have tried to push you into telling me."

Ciel pressed his lips together and stepped forward. Reaching up, he aimed for Sebastian's cheek but the older male grabbed his hand out of the air before he could hit him.

"What the fuck, Ciel?"

"Stop fucking agreeing with me on everything."

"What?"

"You shouldn't have to apologize for trying to be fucking helpful. It's stupid and weak. And I don't like stupid weaklings."

"What the hell is up with you all of the sudden?"

"Just… get the fuck out," Ciel turned around and walked to the fridge. He felt Sebastian's dumbfounded glare burn holes in the back of his head but he ignored it. He already regretted acting up like this but he needed to change the subject. He knew Sebastian wouldn't get off it and he wanted to hide his true feelings at all costs.

"I need to fucking write, so would you please leave," Ciel opened a can of energy drink and put it against his lips. He heard Sebastian sigh behind him.

"I seriously do not get you, Ciel Phantomhive," his deep voice told him. Ciel felt a pang in his chest when he heard the sincere confusion and hurt that was laced through it.

The door opened, and Claude's voice cut through the awkward momentum that seemed to have frozen both males in a peerlessly delicate situation.

"Sebastian, we have to get going. Alois is useless in this state. I need to get him to bed."

Sebastian nodded, turned and walked away without another word. Claude arched his eyebrow as the raven haired male passed him without having a dramatically long goodbye with Ciel. His eyes turned to the younger male by the fridge and he recognized the emotion on his face. He sighed, repositioned his glasses and stepped forward.

"What happened?"

Ciel cocked an eyebrow. "Why do you care?"

"Because Sebastian is my friend."

"Oh," Ciel exclaimed in a skeptical tone. "You don't care about your own career for once."

Claude chuckled sadistically. "No need to get hostile. I care about my fellow men. Perhaps not in such easily detectable manners as most people, but I do care about Alois and you two."

"Well then," Ciel said, putting his can down on the counter. "Nothing happened. Satisfied?"

"Not entirely, but it'll have to do for now. Have a good evening, Ciel. Perhaps you should drop by the house tomorrow so that we can work on some more songs. Do try to shake the irritating blonde this time."

Ciel scowled and rolled his eyes. "As if I would drag her along. That girl has a radar I tell you, she works in fucking mysterious ways."

"Perhaps she would like to find out in what ways _I _work once she starts working on my nerves more than she already does," Claude spoke sinister.

Ciel twitched, a sweat drop trickling down his temple.

"That sounded really fucking dark and twisted. It wouldn't have ill suited Saruman."

Claude's lips curled into a somewhat manic grin. "It was meant to be dark and twisted," he said and added his goodbyes right after.

"Oh, before I forget," he turned in the doorway. "Please do try to mend things with Sebastian. We cannot use this dramatic B-teen movie thing you two seem to have going on, it doesn't look good on the band."

"And there he is," Ciel snapped a hand to him. "Welcome back, Claude."

Claude smirked and shoved his already snug glasses a little further up his nose.

"Naturally," he murmured, causing involuntarily shivers down Ciel's spine. It was a word that usually crossed Sebastian's lips with such delicate seductiveness and even hearing another say it made him think of the way his lover preannounced it. He now wished he had never treated him that carelessly.

In Ciel's moment of self-reflection, Claude had left. He walked outside and was somewhat surprised to see Sebastian sitting in the front seat already, His door was still open and he had one foot out of the car, lazily stretched while he smoked a cigarette and stared at the ceiling. Alois sat on the hood, inhaling and exhaling gradually to calm his upset stomach. When he saw Claude draw closer, he smiled a weary smile. The older male jerked his head to Sebastian with a puzzled frown. The blonde looked sideways for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders, indicating he didn't know either why Sebastian seemed eager to leave all of the sudden.

"Ready to go?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes to the left and looked Claude in the eye. Taking the cigarette from his lips, he huffed out some smoke.

"What does it look like?" He snapped a little more harsh than he had intended on. Claude frowned, placed a hand on the roof and bend down. His face close to Sebastian's, he studied his expression.

"What happened between you and Phantomhive?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Sebastian growled gruff.

"You are going to have to talk about it," Claude said in a low and stoic voice. "Days after I gave you my ok, you two are already fighting. I do not feel like…"

"Oh thank you, your Highness, for being as gracious as to give us your pardon to fuck. Well, do not fear, the band won't break up over something as trivial as a fight. Now, get into the car," Sebastian threw his cigarette on the ground and grabbed the door handle. Claude arched an eyebrow at him and Sebastian sighed at that.

"If you don't want to get stuck between the door, I'd suggest you remove yourself," Sebastian tugged at the door and Claude could jump back in time before the door crushed his hand. Alois cocked an eyebrow at his lover.

"What is up with him?"

"Nothing good," Claude told him, stepping towards the blonde. "How are you feeling, baby?"

Alois pulled him between his legs and clung to his shoulders, placing his head in the junction of Claude's neck, his favorite and safest spot in the whole world.

"A little better, the fresh air was good," he murmured as he nudged his nose against the warm skin of Claude's throat. "You smell good… like donuts," he joked.

Claude twitched and leaned back enough to look the blonde in the eye. "You're hopeless."

"Hopelessly in love."

Claude rolled his eyes and snorted at Alois's sweet words. He leaned in and put his lips against the blonde's.

"Like I said. You _are_ hopeless."

Alois nearly bounced of the car when Sebastian pressed the klaxon. Claude caught the blonde before he fell on the ground and snapped his head to the right. Sebastian threw his hands in the air and seemed to curse behind the wheel. Alois flipped him the finger and cursed back at him.

"We should get in the car before he makes us walk," Claude told the blonde and helped him off the hood and into the backseat.

"We can go, you prick," Claude told him while slamming his car door. Sebastian started his engine and muttered some words that he wasn't about to watch them fuck on his Mary, pulled up and made a sharp u-turn, tires skidding on the gravel.

* * *

Sebastian first dumped Claude and Alois at home and without a word, he rounded the drive and drove back out through the gates. The blonde and raven haired male raised an eyebrow at it but decided to pay it no further attention when Alois slapped a hand over his mouth and made a run for the bathroom.

Parking his car in an invalid spot right outside the pub, Sebastian got a lot of nasty glares while he _walked _into the café and barked his order at the Undertaker. The silver haired male gazed at him through his cowlick and looked left and right.

"Where is your appendage? Isn't he here with you today?"

"Shut up," Sebastian snarled, sinking down on a stool and impatiently waiting for his beer. He reached into the pocket of his leather jacket and retrieved a pack of smokes.

"Something up?" Undertaker shoved a Guinness his way. Sebastian placed a stick between his lips, cupped his hand around it and clicked his Zippo open to light the Lucky Strike. He huffed out delighted and took a large gulp of beer.

"It's nothing," he murmured, staring at his hands he had laced together on top of the counter. He could still see the expression with mixed emotions on Ciel's face and started to wonder what it meant that it hurt him so much, seeing the younger male like that.

"Would you mind not breaking my glass?"

Undertaker's voice dragged him out of his thoughts and he blinked at his hand. Unconsciously, he had grabbed it and clenched it so hard his knuckles had turned white.

"Sorry," he muttered, clearing half of the pint in one swallow.

"Want something to eat? I've hired a new cook," they both snapped their head to the kitchen when they heard pot and pans clattered to the floor. It was followed by a shrill sorry.

"He can only make fish and chip," Undertaker added irritated and pulled out his bloc note and pen. He licked the tip and placed it on the paper. "What will it be?"

"Another beer," Sebastian answered, downing the remnants of the last one.

"A fish and chips platter it is then," Undertaker chirped, getting a condescending look from his regular customer. He snapped a finger up and pointed at the empty glass. "I have seen this side of you one too many times not to force some food down your throat. You'll have the fish and chips, whether you like it or not. Also, keys," he held out his hand.

Sebastian snarled he was still waiting for his beer but didn't defy the tender on either the food or the keys. He simply handed them over, knowing it was for the best. He knew he was right and that Undertaker was only looking out for him. A small smile dared to curl his lips but he hid it from his old friend, he didn't want him to know that Sebastian secretly agreed with him.

After his fifth beer, Sebastian started spilling information. He told the bartender about his weird understanding with Ciel, and how the boy seemed to react to it.

"You know," Sebastian dipped a curly fries into his HP sauce and chewed absentmindedly on it. "He said he was fine with just the sex thing. But, lately, I caught myself thinking that he might've been lying about that."

"Really?" Undertaker raised a sarcastic eyebrow. "Whatever made you think of that?"

The pun fell to deaf ears and Sebastian just continued, starting on his sixth beer and throwing some more vinegar over his chips.

After his seventh beer, he blinked at Undertaker, as if he saw him for the first time.

"Do you suppose he is in love with me?" He asked, his voice sincerely surprised and his glare dense enough to make anyone believe he never figured it out up till now.

"Ding, ding, ding! And the prize goes to this fine young Sir. Tell him what he won, Ronald," Undertaker yelled to his cook. The young boy had been leaning on the service-hatch and had been listening in on the conversation for quite some time now. He tossed his blonde and black locks and told Sebastian with a dazzling smile that he went home with the microwave. Sebastian was just blinking at the beer tap that shimmered in the light of the candles.

"Could it really? No… that isn't possible… he promised that… no, he didn't promise anything," he ranted through his hat. Undertaker took the empty beer glass and replaced it with the third glass of water he had managed to slip the by now drunk customer. Sebastian threw it back without thinking and talked a little more to himself.

"Look 'ere pretty," Undertaker leaned on the tap and placed a finger under Sebastian's chin, forcing him to look at him. "That boy has been in love with you the moment you walked into his life. I bet he was even crushing on you before that. I saw through his tough-guy act the minute he walked in with you that first time. Now, you can do two things, because you cannot let the poor thing dangle on that spiders thread you threw him. That is a horrible thing to do, and you are not spider-like. You are something much darker, something that eats spiders. That boy isn't, he is innocent and obeying, like a puppy. So, either set him free and tell him you don't want him or go over to his place tomorrow and tell him how you truly feel."

"How I truly feel?" Sebastian frowned. "How do I feel?"

"You're in love with him!" Ronald cheered, throwing his arms in the air. Undertaker growled that his help had stolen his line, stuck his nose in the air and told Ronald in an annoyed voice that something was burning.

Ronald yelped, ran to the back and screamed loud when he burned his hand on a pot. "Order up," his voice spoke in a whimpering tone.

"You're right," Sebastian slammed his hand down. "I should go to him. Give me my keys."

"Not a chance in hell," Undertaker said. "You'd kill yourself, driving like this. Hold on, let me take this out. I'll be back shortly."

Sebastian's eyes followed the bartender until he was in the far back of the bar, delivering food and apologizing for the state it was in. Sebastian leaned over the counter, his long fingers reaching for his keys that sat on one of the shelves behind the bar. Before he tumbled over the bar, he hooked a finger through the ring and could somehow manage to stay balanced. He sat back, stood and pulled his wallet. He slammed down some money, put his finger against his lips to beg Ronald's silence and slithered out of the bar while Undertaker was still taking orders.

Outside, rain thundered out of the heavy, black clouds. Sebastian had a parking ticket stuck behind his wiper. He tore it off his window, fumbled it up and threw it away. He started his engine and backed up. The car behind him hit his brakes before they crashed into each other. Undertaker ran out and cursed, calling Sebastian's name while watching the car take off at a high speed.

* * *

He could only half remember how he got there, but when he came to the Phantomhive estate, he just parked his car right in front of the entrance and got out. He studied the high iron fence surrounding the estate for a moment or two. After disclosing that the gate was in fact locked, he concluded that there was no other way but to climb it. With his drunken mind giving him some trouble, he hoisted himself up and nearly tipped over, tearing his shirt and jeans on the sharp points and scratching his cheek on them on his way down.

He jogged across the muddy lawn, nearly slipping on some puddles as he went. The estate was surrounded by mist and clad in darkness, safe for the little light that burned next to the front door. It was an eerie sight, and images of hands shooting up from the ground made even Sebastian shiver in his own skin for a moment. He disregarded the thought, laughing to himself that there was no such thing as zombies and stopped underneath what he assumed to be Ciel's window. There was no tree nearby to climb and the balcony was too high to jump and reach for the railing. He cursed for a moment or two before his eyes caught a strong vine swirling up the wall. He bend his knees a little, jumped and latched himself unto the wall like a spider, shoes scraping against the cold bricks.

After three failed attempts, he finally grabbed onto a strong enough branch and hoisted himself up by it. After a impossibly clumsy climb that seemed to go on forever, Sebastian's hand caught a hold of one of the slippery iron poles of the balcony. Firmly wrapping his fingers around it and pushing himself off the wall with his feet, he managed to pull up and find footing on the concrete edge of the deck.

Skulking through the shadows of the mansion, he pressed his back against the wall and took to peeking around the corner to see if he had indeed climbed up the right vine. With the moonlight briefly shining through an opening in the thick clouds, he could make out the serene face of a sleeping Ciel. He caught himself staring at it for a moment, wondering how such a delicate and tranquil face could hide so much emotion and repressed anger. He stepped out of the shadows and pushed the hair that was matted down by rain and sweat out of his eyes. Raising his hand, he hesitated for a moment, asking himself if he wanted to disturb the in peace clad room. His contemplation did not last long and he tapped his forefinger against the glass, a little softer than he had initially intended on.

Ciel woke from a sound that was different from the rain that rhythmically drummed on the roof of his home. Opening his eye, he jolted up and shoveled back on his mattress, cold sweat running down his back. The person outside his bedroom was hidden by shadows and the sleep that made his vision a bit blurry. After rubbing his eye, he started to recognize the features and he finally threw the blankets off and got up to let Sebastian in.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" He hissed, grabbing the wet sleeve of his leather jacket and pulling him inside.

"I had to see you…" Sebastian began. He stopped and mashed his brows together. "Only I seem to have forgotten why," he murmured, rolling his eyes to the ceiling in a fruitless attempt to recollect his hazed thoughts.

"How did you get up here? Did you climb your way up?"

Sebastian grinned triumphantly. "You just answered your own question…woow," he wobbled a little on his legs, spread his arms to steady himself and chortled after.

Ciel studied him with suspicion. "Are you drunk?" He finally asked.

"N-No…" Sebastian attempted to step towards him but tumbled backwards. Ciel had to grab his arm and pull him into his body to keep him standing. Sebastian took this opportunity to wrap his arms around him and bury his nose in the soft, navy locks. His eyes wandered to the inviting bed behind Ciel and he caught himself wondering what the slept on sheets would smell like.

"You reek of alcohol and mud," Ciel mumbled, his voice muffled by the wet t-shirt. "And you're soaked to the bone," he leaned back enough to look Sebastian in the eye. "What happened to your cheek?" He reached up and wiped a smudge of dried up blood away.

"Not important," Sebastian told him, pulling closer again and inhaling the scent of his hair. "You smell of lilacs and sleep, it's lovely."

"Lovely? Ok, you're really pissed. How did you get to this outskirt anyway? Please tell me you didn't drive up here."

"Come here," Sebastian pressed his hands under Ciel's chin. "I want you to kiss me."

"Sebastian!" Ciel tipped his head back, causing Sebastian to plant his wandering lips on his chin. He chuckled at it and kissed the skin again.

"Don't play games with me, Ciel. I'm horny and I need to fuck. My boner is dying to sheath itself in your warm and smooth ass."

"Answer me, Sebastian. Did you drive up here?"

"Of course I did, silly. How else do you expect me to get to this fucking outback."

Ciel shoved him away, his glare hard while he stared at the drunk. Sebastian just blinked at him, surprised Ciel was being this harsh to him after he climbed up to his bedroom window.

"You fucking idiot. You fucking, impossible jerk!" Ciel hissed, trying to keep his voice down so he wouldn't wake his parents. "You could've been killed you know!"

Sebastian shrugged nonchalant and combed his fingers through his dripping wet hair. "What would you care? You're angry with me."

"Of course I'm angry with you and you know that I fucking care…"

"Because you love me."

Ciel stopped his rant and stared wide-eyed at him. Sebastian finally seemed to remember why he came here in the first place. Now, he stepped forward, a little more balanced than last time.

"You love me, don't you?"

Ciel clenched his fists next to his body and pressed his lips together.

"I won't dignify that with an answer," he snarled, his eye flickering with much too revealing emotions. "You're drunk, you don't even know what you are saying."

Sebastian kept coming closer and reached out his hand to cup Ciel's cheek.

"This is the first time I get to see you without the patch," he said, a small smile curling his lips at the unfamiliar sight.

"Shit," Ciel slapped a hand over his eye and dropped his chin to his chest. "Don't fucking look at me."

"Don't be ridiculous, just let me have a look."

"No, not in a million years. Just hand me my fucking patch will you, and get the hell out after that. Sleep your hangover off in the garden or something."

Ciel yelped involuntarily when Sebastian grabbed his chin, forced his head back and easily pushed the hand that Ciel used to cover the eye away.

"You motherfucking asshole," Ciel snarled. "I fucking hate you."

Sebastian brushed the bangs away and gazed unmoved at the irregular scar tissue that covered the eye.

"You don't hate me," he told him, caressing the scar with his thumb. "You love me," he went on, leaning in. "You love me," he told him again before kissing his lips. Ciel struggled against it, aimlessly pounding Sebastian's chest while he tried to shove him away. It was fruitless, especially after Sebastian closed him in his arms and deepened the kiss by pushing his tongue between Ciel's lips and forcing them apart so that their tongues crashed together. Ciel stopped resisting and just gave in, desperately returning the kiss while he clung to Sebastian's shoulders.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Sebastian asked when they both drew a vaporous breath.

"And risk losing you?" Ciel told him coolly. "I couldn't have lived with that."

Sebastian studied the handsome face. The stoic mask that hid some many raw emotions. Ciel had his eyes closed, his lips slightly parted and so obviously waiting to be kissed again. Sebastian smiled and brushed his thumb over the bottom lip while bending down.

"Say it," he whispered against Ciel's mouth.

"Hand me my eye patch, you fucker."

Sebastian chuckled. "Not that, little diva. Say you love me."

"Give me my eye patch and I will think about it."

Sebastian's eyes wandered through the room until they landed on the outfit that hung over a chair in the corner. A smirk curled his lips and he told Ciel to not move or open his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Ciel asked, suspicious of the drunk staggering through his room. His body jerked in surprise when he felt something cover his eyes. He reached up and felt the soft silk of the tie his mother had cleaned for him.

"This better?" Sebastian's voice close to his ear while he tied to makeshift blindfold behind Ciel's head. The raw seduction of the entire setting aroused Ciel so much that he whirled around and desperately reached out his neck. Sebastian met his demand half way and kissed him again. He placed his hands on the younger male's shoulders and gently started pushing, encouraging him to walk backwards. Ciel did, until his calves hit the bed and he tumbled backwards. He felt Sebastian cover him and growled low when he felt his moist lips graze the skin of his neck.

Sebastian's fingertips danced over his bare torso, flicked over his nipples and massaged his hips. He paid attention to every single bit of bare skin, his tongue licking the places where his fingers had gone before. He sucked on the warm skin, leaving tiny red marks all over the younger male's chest and abdomen.

Ciel arched his body into his wandering lips, clenching the sheet in his right hand and combing his fingers through Sebastian's hair with the other.

"Come here," Sebastian wrapped his arm around Ciel's waist and lifted his torso, pulling the younger male into his body to service him with another breathtaking kiss. Ciel's hands went to Sebastian's pants, but he prevented him. He shivered when he heard Sebastian's voice whisper in his ear.

"No. Tonight is about you," he told him and pressed a kiss on the lobe after.

Laying back again, Ciel heard Sebastian take his leather jacket off and throw it to the floor. After another swooshing sound, he felt Sebastian's breath on his face when he hovered over him. Ciel reached up and felt the muscular and cold, naked torso. Sebastian's breathing was steady, unlike Ciel's that seemed to hitch in his throat as Sebastian started to push the navy haired male's boxers down.

"Sebastian," he moaned, arching his trembling body when Sebastian's wet tongue trailed down his abs and dipped into his naval. Blindfolded, all his other senses seemed at sharp and every caress and flick was more intense. Sebastian threw the boxers onto the floor, pried Ciel's legs apart and lay down between them.

"Nnhaa… Sebastian," Ciel rolled his head left and right when the older male dragged his tongue over his sack and up the shaft of his erected dick. He flicked it over the precum leaking slit and suckled at the head after. He curled his cool fingers around the shaft and slowly jerked him off, sucking on and twirling his tongue around the glans.

"Fuck… nnhhaa… Sebastian," Ciel mewled, grabbing a fistful of hair and tugging at it.

Sebastian let the dick go with a sloppy pop and kept jerking him off while he looked up at the writhing Ciel. His face was tortured with anticipation as he chewed on his bottom lip.

"You like it, don't you love," he whispered, smiling at the gasping lips and heaving chest.

Ciel moaned approving, bucking his hips into the jerking hand. Sebastian smirked, put two fingers into his mouth and pressed them against his asshole. Ciel cried out when he pushed them inside in one smooth thrust. Sebastian sucked air through his teeth while he watched his fingers slide in and out of Ciel, loving the feeling of the warm muscles clenching his digits.

"You're so fucking tight, baby," Sebastian murmured, bending down and flicking the tip of his tongue over the twitching hole. "So fucking smooth and warm.

Ciel groaned disapproving when he pulled the fingers out. He heard Sebastian unbuckle his belt and unbutton his pants. He kicked his shoes off and slid out of the pants. He spread Ciel's legs, guided his erection to the asshole and complete sheathed it in one thrust, hissing with lust when he felt the muscles clench down hard on his dick.

"So good… you are so fucking warm, baby," Sebastian murmured, placing hands on either side of Ciel's head and slowly pulling out and plunging back in at the same addictively slow pace.

Ciel grabbed Sebastian's biceps and buried his nails in the skin while the older male smoothly thrusted into him, fucking him at a slow and gentle pace.

"Go faster," Ciel demanded through gritted teeth. This tempo was maddening addictive and Ciel knew he would come soon if he kept going like this. He wrapped his legs around the older male's waist and tried to force him to pick up his pace. Sebastian seemed to just ignore him and rolled his hips a little more, making the thrust more smooth and deeper so the head of his dick brushed against the prostate with every well aimed pump.

"Oh fuck, Sebastian…" Ciel bit the inside of his cheek hard to keep himself from screaming. He could taste his own blood while he sucked on his trembling bottom lip. His body quivered uncontrollably under Sebastian's natural skills. Even if the word hadn't been uttered, Sebastian was making love with him and it made this entire experience all the more exciting and intense.

Leaning down, Sebastian dragged his tongue over the panting lips, making Ciel groan in the back of his throat.

"Do you like it baby? Are you enjoying yourself?" He breathed against the gasping mouth, gazing at the with desire distorted face through lidded eyes.

Ciel wasn't capable of forming a coherent response and just purred in response, overwhelming Sebastian's most inner desires. The younger male groaned disapproving when the older male pulled out of him but was interested when strong arms were wrapped around his waist and was easily placed into his lover's lap and pinned down on his dick. Ciel cried out when the erection found new depths that profoundly aroused him. He wrapped his arms around Sebastian and clung to him, resting his forehead on the older male's left shoulder and panting heavily.

"Now you need to move a little, baby," Sebastian whispered against the skin of his throat before sucking on it. His strong hands grabbed Ciel's ass and helped the mewling boy slide up and down his dick.

"I…I… I'm going to… nnhhaa… Sebastian," Ciel scratched his nails over his lover's back, leaving red marks of passion.

"You what, baby?" Sebastian asked, cocking Ciel's head and pressing soft kisses under his jaw. His fingers reached around and messed with the tight knot on the tie.

Ciel's eye snapped open when he felt the silk slip away. He leaned back, pushing on hand against Sebastian's chest and slapping the other over his scarred eye.

"You fucking idiot!" He snapped, wiggling in the lap to try and work himself off. "Why the hell did you do that."

Sebastian easily pinned him down with one hand and told him to stop squirming. With his free hand, he tore the Ciel's hand away from his eye.

"Let me have a fucking look at you, damnit," he snarled, grabbing Ciel's chin and forcing his head back so the eye was exposed. Ciel whimpered, calling him a hateful bastard while Sebastian looked at the irregular scar tissue that formed an ugly scar over the width of his right eye.

"Don't fucking look at me. It is disgusting," Ciel whispered, tears of helplessness glistening in the corner of his left eye. Sebastian shook his head and gave him a stern look.

"It's not disgusting. Stop saying that."

"Then stop fucking saying that it is not disgusting," Ciel jerked his head back and out of Sebastian's grasp and took to staring at a point behind the older male. "Because it is… revolting and…"

Sebastian cusped his chin, his grip more firm than before and brushed Ciel's bangs back. His eyes serious, he looked straight in Ciel's as he spoke.

"You idiot… I love everything about you."

Ciel stared motionless into the crimson eyes. He tried to search the orbs for deception, but found nothing but genuine sincerity and even the tiniest hint of what he thought was affection. Sebastian smiled, a comforting smile that rarely crossed his lips but started to become a frequently reoccurring thing now that he met the younger male.

"Say it," he whispered, caressing his thumb over the tissue. It made Ciel flinch, even if the pain he used to feel now only existed in his memory. His eyes drooped to Sebastian's lips and he bend forward to place his own lips against them. No sound crossed his lips, but Sebastian felt them mouth _I love you_ against his own. He smiled, wrapped an arm around Ciel's waist and placed a hand against the back of his head.

Ciel wasn't disappointed when they continued without Sebastian telling him he loved him as well. It didn't seem to matter now he knew the older male wouldn't push him away. He got a peek behind Sebastian's mask and for now, it seemed that the unsettled demon was lulled to slumber and taken over by lust as Sebastian moved Ciel agonizingly slow up and down his dick, massaging his ass with his long and slender fingers and kissing every bit of skin his lips could reach.

Both came at the same time, grunting their orgasm into each other's mouth as they kissed to muffle the animalistic sounds. Ciel slumped against Sebastian's chest, completely fatigued and satisfied. Sebastian combed his fingers through the navy locks, his mind slowly getting down from cloud number nine and sinking back into the drunken state he had arrived in.

"Ciel?"

His voice was soft, barely audible even and didn't reach the ears of the sleeping younger male anymore. When Sebastian felt his own sperm spill from the asshole and trickle down his shaft, he gently removed the sleeping Ciel off his lap and placed him on the mattress. Wasted, tired and completely content, Sebastian let his body drop down next to Ciel's, promising himself that he would sleep an hour or two before he would go home.

* * *

"Babycakes. Time to wake…" Rachel slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle the high pitched squeal that welled up in the back of her throat. Not only did she find her sleeping son, Sebastian was still passed out beside him. Ciel's arm was arm lazily draped over Sebastian's waist and both stark naked.

After a moment of trying to calm her nerves, she lowered her hand, but another excited yelp rose in her chest and managed to cross her lips.

"Something the matter, darling?" Vincent popped his head around the corner and studied the back of his trembling wife. Rachel threw a look over her shoulder, smiling like a loon. He arched an eyebrow when she scurried his way and did her best to block his view.

"Rachel, you're acting like a rabbit on high powered batteries again," Vincent grabbed her shoulders and avoided the flailing hands that tried to cover his eyes. "What's the matter? Did you see his…" He cleared his throat. "Erection again," he finished, slightly ashamed his wife could get all excited about it and call it Ciel's little friend, which embarrassed both father and son ever more.

"No," she chirped, yanking at his collar so that his face leveled with hers. "No little friends today… let's just say that the little friend got a much bigger friend," her eyes widened a little. "A much, much bigger friend," she mumbled on, gazing at a point behind her husband, seemingly lost in thoughts.

"Rachel, you're nearly choking me, woman," Vincent untangled her tiny hands from his collar and straightened his jacket. "I think we both know that Ciel got his _friend _size from my side of the family," he pointed out, using his fingers as quotation marks to emphasize the word friend. "It's about time you started calling it big," he quipped snide, secretly hurt in his manly pride that his wife had the nerve to mock the general family penis size.

"But this is," Rachel chewed on her lip, a thoughtful frown mashing her thin brows together. "It is so big… I… I never saw anything… oh my," her cheeks started to get flustered and she kept chattering words that made no sense to Vincent.

"What are you so desperately trying to hide," Vincent tried to shove her aside, but she refused to let him pass. He solved it by grabbing her shoulders, lifting her off her feet and setting her down next to him. When he looked up, his breath hitched in his throat and his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

"What the fuck!" He growled, a vein pulsing on his head when his eyes glide over the two naked bodies, one belonging to his son and the other to his new front man.

"Isn't it marvelous," Rachel clasped her hands together and sighed delighted. "Oh darling, I finally get to cook for four this Christmas," she twittered, giggling excitedly.

Vincent slapped a hand over his eyes and groaned. "Are you even seeing what I see, woman," he hissed low, snapping his hand at the bed. "Our son was molested last night… with that thing," his pointed a finger at Sebastian's morning erection.

Rachel wrinkled her nose. "There was no molesting what-so-ever. I'm sure of it."

"How can you be sure? Look at the width of that thing!"

"Stop calling it a thing. It's Sebastian's big friend."

"Grotesque friend," Vincent corrected her, who took to just staring at the ceiling to avoid another collision with the beast.

"And how I can be sure he was not molested," Rachel went on, wagging a finger at her husband. "Because we would've hurt his cries of pain. And even so, I think those cries of pain would've naturally flown into moans of pleasure. I bet he loved it."

Vincent now stared spiteful at his gleeful wife. She beamed brightly and just blinked.

Ciel slowly started to wake up and heard the hushed voices arguing his case. He cracked an eye open and couldn't help the wide smirk that curled his lips. Against his initial expectation, Sebastian was still by his side. And thankfully, he was still fast asleep.

"Hell would have to freeze over before my son would love a dick up his ass," Vincent growled, still happily ignoring that he knew his son was gay. He didn't have a problem with Ciel liking boys, but the idea of them having sex in his house just repulsed him and was not adaptable to his only son.

"Well babe," Rachel pinched his shoulder. "You're awake, and hell froze over."

"No…" Vincent denied stubbornly.

"She's right, dad."

Vincent and Rachel whirled to the bed. Ciel still had his back turned on them, but his eyes was open and staring mesmerized at the sleeping Sebastian.

"Now. Could you have this penis discussion outside my room. I'm trying to sleep, and I don't want Sebastian to wake up and find out what kind of a retarded family I was born into."

"Sure thing, sweetpea," Rachel sang, grabbing her husband's arm. "Take all the time you need. I'll fix you two some breakfast in bed." With that, she started to drag a reluctant Vincent out of the room. Ciel rolled his eye when he heard his father muttered he was living in a loony bin and was relieved when the vexing couple closed the door and left him alone to bask in Sebastian's presence.

* * *

The sun fell on his porcelain-like skin, only highlighting his natural attractiveness. It made his raven locks stand out against his white cheeks and accented the intense redness of his perfect lips. Ciel shoveled a little closer, wanting to feel his breath on his face. Even if he had smelled like a fish market at the end of the day and had snored like a banshee, nothing could demolish Sebastian's perfection.

He smiled at his own silly thoughts, and after checking that Sebastian was still asleep, he shoveled even closer. He yelped when Sebastian sudden stirred. In one move, the older male turned the younger male on his side and pulled him into his body, aligning Ciel's back with his chest.

"You were awake this entire time, weren't you?" Ciel groaned, feeling shame color his cheeks.

"Mhmm," Sebastian hummed, burying his nose in Ciel's navy locks and inhaling deep. "You smell of sex and me. I like it and it turns me on."

"Everything turns you on…"

"True. Everything about you turns me on."

Ciel chuckled, carefully placing his hand on the forearm that pressed against his chest. "So… you heard everything as well?"

"I did."

"And?"

"Your parents are weird."

Ciel breathed a laugh. "That might be the understatement of the century."

He felt Sebastian smile against the skin of his neck and it gave him goosebumps.

"Hush now, baby. I need a hell of a lot more sleep to survive this hangover… ouch, what was that for?" Sebastian frowned after Ciel had reached around and slapped his ass harshly.

"That was for driving up here while being drunk. Don't ever do that again, Sebastian. Promise me you won't ever drive while being wasted again."

"I promise… sshh," he placed a finger against Ciel's lips. "Go to sleep."

Ciel leaned back and smiled when Sebastian pressed a kiss on his temple.

"Sleep tight, Sebastian…"

"…You too, Ciel."

* * *

All together now:

Rachel and Vincent be crazy!

Hahaha... nah, I seriously love to play with those two. They make good comical relief in a scene as emotional and tense as the sex scene between Ciel and Sebastian. Was it any good? Did I satisfy the ladywoods and possible boners?

There were some minor references to the manga, did you sniff them out? Ugh, I suck at A/N's... it is one of my mortal flaws I suppose. Just, blegh - review, make me a happy writer who is worthy of kind and substantial reviews. Also, me 'earties, thanks for all those lovely comments I got on the previous chapter. I might say this too often, but you all are my soul - and you will eventually devour it. But that's ok, I made this contract of finishing this and I will not breach it, at all costs.

Until next time, and don't forget to check those mailboxs this weekend for the latest and long overdue update of the Circus _Macabre_ (that sounded like Madame Leota in my mind. You know, the head in a ball in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland - stupid Leota, won't ever shut up. It was either her voice or that of the Undertaker who has managed to sneak in Tatum-time on a regular basis these days)

Now, as Julie said in her last review. Put it in my box, down here v (And yes, my Lord... that was an invitation, naturally. I am simply one hell of a tease... and entirely yours)


	16. Act 47

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

_To answer a question in the reviews: Yes, I cosplayed, once, I was a terrible Will Turner from POTC hahaha... had the most fun though. I would love to cosplay Claude or Sebastian. (Claude because he and I are very alike and Sebastian because, hell, he's hot!) So, let me know and I might feel inclined to start gathering the necessities._

Ok first:

I had amazing sex with a good looking journalist student! (And with good looking I mean; glasses, beard and dark hair - ah, so close to JM Tatum)

Alright, now that that is out of my system... back to normal business.

Thanks to all my sweet, loving and devoted readers/review-ies for being this generous and supporting. It is because of you that I even uploaded this chapter because in fact, I lack total and complete motivation to even upload anything.

People, I am disappointed. Mainly in myself I suppose because my writing doesn't allure the reaction I want it to allure. It doesn't inspire people, or draws them back to the Kuro fandom. I mean, I sometimes (when I find time to) read Kuro fans on this website that have over 500, or maybe even over a 1000 reviews, and then I look at myself, my own story - my characters. Grell, I love my Claude and Sebastian, and I am trying to make Ciel as real as possible and Alois, dear me, Alois is my baby - he and I have a great understanding. But then, out of the 400 people who read every chapter, why do only a handful review? And yes, I blame myself there.

I guess my writing isn't as good as I hoped it was. I - ugh - I am so frustrated that I have written an entire TCM chapter but lack motivation to update it. I have the sweet Alois - Claude moment, and I have a real deep conversation between Sebas and Ciel in there, but I simply lack every motivation to do anything with it. Entirely. Because, trust me - I will finish these stories, if I upload them is a second.

Is this a cry for reviews? Maybe - it is more a request for motivation, because I do not lack inspiration. I am not on a hiatus on these stories. All I need to do is sit down, write 1 word and the rest follows automatically. Words flow from my fingers like fucking magic - I just lack the proper motivation.

Well, whatever, this A/N rant has gone on long enough. I suppose you all know I will never let you down, and I will probably upload the TCM chapter anyway. Just, please, to all those people who read and don't review. Please, just, let me know what you think. To everyone who does review; I hope you know that you are my motivation to upload anything at all.

To all my sweets, enjoy!

O.

_Oh, my hummingbirds, spelling check will follow once I am sober again. _

* * *

Still half asleep, Claude's hand switched the lamp on the nightstand on and groped around the blankets in search of his IPhone. The dreadful thing had been vibrating for a good five minutes now and he could no longer play blissfully ignorant. He sat up and just now noticed that he was still fully dressed.

Alois had been barfing donut remnants for another hour after they got home and he did not only lose his religion in the toilet. While the blonde had been put to bed by his lover, and had passed out instantly, Claude had spend hours cleaning the hardwood floors, the carpeting on the stairs and the tiles in the master bathroom. All the while, he was getting scolded at by Bard who found it necessary to express his repulsion vocally, illustrated with gagging sounds and casually throwing in the words dude or fuck after every sentence.

Claude's fingers finally closed around the vibrating machine and he snatched it from the bedding. Recognizing the number, he slid his thumb over the screen.

"Faustus."

"Claude? Finally! Undertaker here."

"Undertaker," Claude threw a quick glance on the illuminated numbers on the alarm clock before he pushed his glasses in his hair and rubbed his eyes. "Is Michaelis already done sulking and ready to be picked up?"

"Yeah, about that…" Undertaker cleared his throat. "He got a hold of his keys and took off."

"He what?!" Claude roared into the phone, clenching the mobile so tight it nearly crushed in his hand. Alois groaned tortured next to him and flailed his arm, trying to hit Claude while he told him to shut up and go back to sleep.

"I was serving customers in the back of the bar. I'm not his fucking babysitter."

"Yes! Yes you are. You were a fucking CIA-agent in the past. Why the hell do you think I brought him to your bar all those years ago in the first place, huh? Not because of the sublime service. You were supposed to watch him, you incompetent idiot!"

"I watch him, but I run a fucking pub, not a daycare centre."

Claude snorted and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you at least have some kind of a clue where he might be headed? No, don't even bother answering that, I know perfectly well where he went. The fucking asshole. Thanks for nothing, moron," Claude hung up before Undertaker could defend himself further against the accusations.

"What's wrong, babe?" Alois propped himself up on his elbows and stared at the back of Claude's head. The raven haired male put his glasses back in place and positioned them with his middle finger.

"Sebastian's somewhere out there," Claude shoveled to the end of the bed and got up. "Probably dead drunk and driving. I'm going to check the Phantomhive estate. I need you to stay awake and sit by the phone. The police might call."

Alois snorted and rolled his eyes. "We have been through this before and he always turns up. I think he's even a better driver after he drank a few."

"Alois," Claude told him in a warning tone as he walked to the closet and pulled out a black sports jacket he put on over his grey t-shirt.

"But… Claude…" He nagged with pouted lips. The older male ignored him as he put a pair of high sneakers on his feet and stood. "Can't you just fire up the Ciel dick signal, I'm sure Sebastian will be drawn to that like bears to honey."

"That's my best friend out there," Claude began, patting on his jeans to check if he had his wallet and keys. "And he is extremely drunk. I would never forgive myself if something happened to him."

"Hah!" Alois sat back and crossed his arms. "We both know that is a blatant lie. You would so forgive yourself because you of all people could rationalize it and see that it was his own fault."

Claude stared at Alois, the light of the lamp reflected in his glasses and made it impossible for the blonde to read his golden eyes.

"Alright, it is a lie," he admitted with a casual shrug of the shoulders. "But I would feel guilty for a few months, and I don't like to feel guilty. Make sure you stay awake," he told the blonde before turning to the door and grabbing the knob.

"But Claude…" Alois nagged again while driving his hand into his pants and pulling his erection out. "He's all hard, bothered and waiting for you," he said in a most seductive voice, stroking his dick softly and mewling while doing so.

Claude let the doorknob go, slowly turned to the bed and studied the blonde. A wide grin grew on Alois's lips when he seemed to have captured his lover's attention.

"Come here baby," he raised a hand and beckoned Claude with his fingers. "Sebastian is a big boy. He can take care of himself now," he continued, playfully pinning his bottom lip between his teeth and moaning while he pressed his thumb against his own slit. "Come and give me a little help."

Claude lifted an eyebrow, grabbed a box of tissues and threw it to Alois.

"Clean up after yourself when you're done. If the phone rings, don't let that oaf pick it up." And with that, Claude exited the room. Alois blinked at the door, expecting Claude to storm back and fuck him any minute now. Even when he heard the front door slam, he knew his lover was playing with him. But when the car started and he heard the tires skid on the drive, he grabbed the tissues and hurled them at the door.

"Fucking asshole," he snarled, crossing his arms and staring reproachful at the starless sky outside his bedroom window. After a few moments, his jerking and begging cock managed to pull his attention back and Alois just jerked himself off, absentmindedly thinking about Sebastian to punish his boyfriend while doing so.

* * *

Claude slowed down on Walnut Grove road when he saw skid marks on the asphalt. A few miles ahead, the red a blue lights of a police car flashed warningly against the black sky. He felt a heavy knot form in the pit of his stomach and he firmed his grasp on the wheel until his knuckles had turned white. Slowing down, he saw an Asian police officer signal for him to stop. The guy walked up to his window and tapped on it.

"Evening, good Sir. What are we doing here?"

Claude raised an eyebrow and wondered if this asshole was for real.

"Baking pancakes," he retorted, his eyes shooting to the scene up ahead. "What does it look like I am doing?"

The officer leaned on his car and blinded him with a flashlight.

"What the fuck?!" Claude shielded his eyes from the bright white light. "Are you fucking insane, you idiot. I still need to drive."

"Do you know that baking pancakes while driving is illegal," the officer told him in a dead serious tone of voice. "Goes the same for calling, texting and drinking."

"Are you fucking serious?" Claude snapped, pushing the light down. "Are you really that fucking dense to believe I am actually baking pancakes while driving."

The officer shrugged and slung the light over his shoulder, blinding his blonde partner that just walked up to him with its bright light.

"You wouldn't believe what I have seen in my days. People eating currybuns, holding illegal human traffic auctions while driving. Performing magic tricks with swords. Yes, the work of an officer is always to serve and protect, and as such, I must tell you that baking pancakes while driving is very dangerous."

Claude frowned, sincerely confused by the officer that just tipped his cap back and smiled.

"Human traffic auction during driving? Are you serious?" He narrowed his eyes to read the nametag on the uniform. "Officer Lau."

The guy jumped back, knocking over his partner while he snapped his head left and right. "Human traffic auction while driving? Where?"

Claude snorted and slapped a hand over his eyes. "You just told me that yourself, moron. Look," he dropped his hand in his lap and beckoned Lau to come closer again with the other. "What has happened up there?" Claude nodded to the two police cars and ambulance down the road.

"Oh that," Lau leaned against the car again and looked up ahead. "That is a classic _462_. Tragic really, they were so young. Such a life ahead of them yet," he added.

The knot in Claude's stomach shot to his throat and he could almost hear his own voice break as he asked Lau what a _462_ case was, fearing the worst for his friend. The officer smiled at him as he leaned down.

"Yes… what is a _462_? I always wanted to know that… do you know?"

If Claude hadn't been sitting, he would've tumbled over. With a vein of irritation pulsing on his forehead, he yelled at Lau that he was an incompetent idiot and drove on. Passing the scene, he saw two animal paramedics carry a dead deer into the ambulance. Lethally annoyed with both the oaf of an officer and his jerk of a friend, Claude kept following the road straight into Shelby Farm Park.

To his relief, he saw Mary parked in front of the gates of the Phantomhive estate. Claude parked his Chevy pick-up behind the red Cadillac and with the motor still running, he got out to give Sebastian a piece of his mind. When he didn't find his friend sleeping in the backseat like he had expected, Claude called his phone. He saw it light up on the passengers' seat, hung up and gazed at the high fencing.

"Idiot," he muttered, pushing his phone in his jeans and pulling the spare keys of the Cadillac out of his sports jacket. After, he started to walk around the estate, scanning the area and making sure Sebastian wasn't passed out somewhere in the forest around it. He got back to his car in half an hour and could only deduce from his failure to find the drunk passed out outside the fence, that he had managed to climb it and was safely passed out somewhere on the estate. A little relieved, but immensely annoyed, Claude got back into his car and started on the way back to Sebastian's house to deal with his indubitably pissed off _girlfriend._

* * *

Ciel awoke for the second time that morning with no exact idea how much time had passed since his parents walked in and had gradually lifted the veil on their crazy family life. He snuggled a little closer into the warmth of Sebastian, only to discover it wasn't there anymore. His eye popped up and he jolted up, calling his name.

"Yes?"

He turned in the bed and sighed relieved when he saw the crimson eyed senior sitting on the railing of the balcony, smoke loosely between his lips.

Sebastian frowned his brows at the anxiety with which Ciel had called his name and judging by the shameful coloring on the younger male's cheeks, he had heard the fear in his own voice as well.

Ciel groped around the floor for his boxers, snarling groggily at Sebastian to shut up when the older male whistled at the bare ass. He quickly put them on and walked out onto the balcony as well. Standing on the opposite side, he crossed his arms and examined the raven haired male.

"Claude's been here," Sebastian told him absentmindedly while he gazed at some point beyond the gates of the estate.

Ciel frowned. "How can you tell?"

Sebastian nodded to the horizon. "He moved Mary to the side," he answered.

Ciel gazed to the grounds below and saw that the red Cadillac was parked neatly next to the gates, opposite from where it had been standing in front of them the night before. He muttered something inaudible and turned to Sebastian again. "How did you sleep?"

"Before or after the cabaret?" Sebastian asked leisurely and chuckled when Ciel groaned humiliated and buried his face in his hands.

"I am so sorry you had to hear that. It's already bad enough I have to endure that every single day of my life."

Sebastian shook his head and sucked at the butt of his cigarette. "It's all good… it was actually quite funny, your mother seemed really impressed," he added with a saucy wink.

"Shut up," Ciel moaned, covering his ears to try and block out what Sebastian was saying.

The older male just chortled, hopped off the railing and walked over. Sebastian felt Ciel's body jerk when he wrapped his arms around the slender body and placed his chin atop of Ciel's navy locks.

"Your parents are cool. No need to be ashamed. I wish my parents had so openly discussed the word dick…" He frowned and huffed out some tobacco. "That way I might've still been in contact with them," he murmured more to himself than to anyone else. He froze for a moment when he felt a pair of warm arms snake around his waist.

"You poor boy," they heard a female voice whisper in a sob.

"MOTHER!"

Rachel stood back and dapped her eyes with the back of her hand before perching them up on her hips. "I am sorry, honey, but this poor boy needs some love. Some motherly love," she added with another sob. "It is such a tragedy to see a good young man as him being rejected by his parents because he prefers male's over female's," she took a step forward and loving pinched Sebastian's bicep. "I for one am glad you are homosexual, that way I get to keep you in the family," she giggled.

"Mother… please," Ciel groaned, burying his face a little deeper into Sebastian's muscular chest to hide his blush of shame. The older male just chuckled awkwardly, not entirely sure how to respond to any of it. Rachel offered him a wide smile, chirped that breakfast would be ready in twenty minutes and skipped back into the room to clean the bedding while humming a friendly and gleeful tune.

"What was she going on about?" Sebastian asked, looking down at the navy locks that could've also be shameful red for all Ciel knew. His cheeks burned and his eyes stung with tears of embarrassment.

"Noth…" Ciel cleared his throat to get rid of the shrill voice. "Nothing," he muttered, refusing to lift his head and look Sebastian in the eye while he said that.

"This has nothing to do with last night or this morning?"

Now, Ciel did tilt his head and stared determined in the crimson eyes. "What do you remember of last night?"

Sebastian perched his lips and frowned as he tried to recollect his thoughts. "We had great sex," he told him with a smirk. They heard Rachel whimper excitedly but ignored it. "Really fantastic sex. I know that much. After that, I must've blacked out."

"That is all you can remember?"

"Yes."

"How convenient."

"Sorry?"

"Nothing," Ciel let him go and took a step back. "Let's go down to get some breakfast." Sebastian was left, blinking surprised at the sudden distance Ciel created between them. As much as he tried to remember anything else from last night, there was some kind of a foggy haze that created a blockage and he couldn't get around it. Watching Ciel get dressed, he could only hope that there hadn't been some kind of an outfall or some emotional moment that he had forgotten.

"I really should stop drinking," he told himself while combing his digits through his raven locks and took the last drag of his cigarette before extinguishing it and putting the butt back in the package.

"You coming?" Ciel called from the doorway. Sebastian caught himself that he felt disappointed seeing the younger male fully dressed again.

"Something the matter?"

Sebastian tilted his chin and glanced at Ciel's face. It was a mixture between apathetic and irritated and he hated to know that something important had happened last night but he couldn't remember what.

"Yeah…" Sebastian stepped back into the room and walked to the door. Ciel's visible blue eye studied him with suspicion.

"Do you mind if I take a shower first… I kind of look like a filthy, drunk mess," Sebastian gestured to the blood and mud smears on his arms and cheeks.

Ciel shrugged nonchalant and took a hold of the door handle. "Sure. Clean towels are under the siaahh… Sebastian, you dickhead, put me down!"

With ease, Sebastian had picked Ciel up and thrown him over his shoulder. "Do you really expect me to take a shower on my own, after that amazing night we had," he smacked Ciel's ass, making the younger male cry out and kick around some more. Sebastian just ignored it, walked into the adjacent bathroom and shut the door with his foot.

* * *

Every now and then, Vincent peeked over the rim of the sport pages to see what his wife was up to. Rachel had been humming the entire morning ever since she found her son molested and naked, cuddle up against said molester. True, Vincent knew Sebastian hadn't really molested his son, but the thought of Ciel propping up on hands and knees willingly and moan like a prisoner's bitch made him gag.

Rachel practically danced through the kitchen, placing fresh squeezed juice and freshly baked croissants on a silver tray. She scooped three spoons full of tea into the pot and used the finest Wedgwood china she had inherited from her mother to serve it in.

"Preposterous," Vincent muttered, turning yet another unread page. "Rewarding Sebastian with a nice breakfast for taking advantage of our mentally unstable son. You should be chasing him through the house with a carpet beater."

"What's that, dearest?" Rachel almost sang, acting blissfully ignorant.

"You heard me, darling," Vincent told her in a warning tone, his eyes pretending to scan the outcome of last nights' football matches in Europe. He yelped involuntarily when Rachel suddenly pushed a pair of scissors in his face.

"What is wrong with you?" He exclaimed.

Rachel smiled sweetly. "Since you're keeping track of what I am doing and trying to be secretive about it, I thought you might want to cut out two holes in the paper so you can spy on me without me noticing. Although, I would know now because I suggested it, but I'll pretend not to know," she winked. "I'll act ignorant so you can play out your Bond fantasy."

Vincent scolded and shook his paper. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he murmured and cleared his throat when he pretended to be interested in basketball outcomes.

"Well, since you're not really reading anyway…" Rachel tore the paper from his hands, rearranged it and folded it.

"What the devil, woman," Vincent watched her place it neatly on the only empty spot left on the tray, between the strawberries and the flowers from the garden. Rachel lifted the tray and told him he wasn't even really reading it while she turned to the door. When it suddenly flung open, Rachel had to taken such sudden steps back that the heavy tray wobbled in her fragile hands. Sebastian was in time to jump forward and grab it from her hands before she dropped the steaming tea over her pink summer dress. Ciel just lifted an eyebrow and told his mother to watch where she was going while he walked to the counter, dropped down next to his father and asked him about the newspaper.

"Are you alright?" Sebastian easily balanced the tray on one hand and placed the other on her trembling shoulder. Rachel huffed, clutched her chest and nodded.

"Y-Yes, I am fine," she peeped. "Thank you for being that quick on your feet," she nodded to the heavy tray that seemed light as a feather as it balanced on Sebastian's strong hand. He smiled and shook his head.

"It is nothing, Mrs. Phantomhive. When I was younger, I used to help out our neighbors butler during the summer to earn some money. Allow me," he gracefully walked to the kitchen counter and placed the tray on it without making a sound. Rachel clapped her hands and squealed a little more over his perfect mannerisms. Ciel rolled his eyes, muttered she was an idiot and snatched his cup of fresh tea from the tray.

"I know this smell…" He held the cup under his nose.

"Yes… it is Oolong," Sebastian said, sighing delighted when he smelled it. "How exquisite a cup of tea can be in the morning. Such a refined smell and…"

"No, it's not that smell, you stupid Brit," Ciel harshly put his cup down. "There isn't any milk in mine," he twirled around on his stool and stood to walk to the fridge. Sebastian rolled his eyes and muttered why he would want to go and ruin a splendid cup of tea, but Ciel ignored him and dumped cold milk into his cup until it nearly spilled over the rim.

"Why are you boys already downstairs? I was going to get you breakfast in bed."

"We need to get to Claude and Alois and work on those final numbers," Ciel answered, throwing his tea back and snatching a croissant from the plate. "Speaking of which, we have to get going," he told Sebastian. The older male wasn't listening while he was complimenting Rachel on the gorgeously hand painted china.

"Sebastian!"

He snapped his head up to the irritated Ciel, nodded and carefully handed Rachel the cup and saucer.

"Thank you for going through all this trouble, and I am deeply sorry I crept into your house without your permission and disturbed you during your morning. I promise it shall not happen again."

"Oh don't be silly," Rachel reached up and pinched his cheek. "You can come by unannounced anytime you like."

"No, he can't!" Both father and son retorted in choir. Rachel waved it away, told Sebastian once more that he was always welcome and pushed a croissant in his hands, telling him he should eat more properly.

* * *

"You really got my mother wrapped around your little finger, don't you?"

Sebastian chuckled as he and Ciel exited the estate and walked to his car.

"That happens most of the time. Mothers like me…"

"…Mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles… I think everybody likes you in general," Ciel said, stopping in his track while Sebastian walked to the driver's seat.

"I don't know about your father, Ciel. He doesn't seem very fond of me," Sebastian unlocked his car and looked up. "Something wrong?" He asked, frowning at the somewhat frightened expression on Ciel's face. Remembering what Rachel had told him weeks ago, he surprised the male by tossing him the keys.

"Ey!" Ciel caught the keys and blinked at them. "What's up?"'

"You drive," Sebastian told him while walking to the other side of the car. "I will keep my hands to myself during, I promise."

"N-No… Ciel walked to Sebastian's side of the car and tried to hand him the keys. "It's your car. You drive. I'm good, and I wouldn't want to cause any damage to your car."

Sebastian snorted and closed Ciel's hand around the keys. "I trust you, and I promised you this morning that I wouldn't drive while being drunk anymore. So, you drive."

Ciel frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Positive? Could you open my door, though?"

Ciel unlocked the door, walked to the driver's seat and sank down in the chair. It was preformed to suit Sebastian's shape, like nobody else but his lover had been allowed to sit there before him and it caused a pleasant shiver down his spine. He turned the engine on, and it purred happily, accepting Ciel as its driver for now. He turned the volume on Bruce Springsteen's _Shackled and Drawn_ up and made the red Cadillac and themselves vibrate on the bass. He backed up, made a u-turn and drove off.

To prove he wouldn't touch him during the driving, Sebastian had one hand in his pocket and the other hung outside the window, slowly flailing through the air with a smoke between his long slender fingers. Ciel threw a look sideways every now and then and Sebastian seemed to be enjoying himself with his eyes closed and his head gently bobbing along on the beat. Ciel felt his heartbeat rise when he realized that they could actually enjoy something together that wasn't sex related. That they enjoyed each other's company while just driving and listening to music.

"What are you smirking about?"

Ciel chuckled softly and threw a quick glance to the side. He caught Sebastian's eyes staring at him and his lips curled into a relaxed smile.

"Nothing… just… nothing," Ciel said. "…I like this," he continued after a few moments.

"You like what?"

"The comfortable silence."

Sebastian glanced sideways at the wide smile on Ciel's lips. It lured a smile onto his own lips and he gently placed his free hand in Ciel's neck.

"Me too, kid… me too."

* * *

Ciel pulled up on Sebastian's drive and shut the engine off. He turned to Sebastian to say something to him, but the door of the passengers' seat was yanked open and Sebastian was dragged out of his chair.

"What the hell?!" Ciel got out and saw Claude grab Sebastian's collar and slam him against the Cadillac.

"You fucking idiot," Claude snarled, his face inches away from Sebastian's. "What the hell were you thinking driving while being drunk? Do you want to die, huh? Because if you do, tell me and I'll gladly oblige by beating the shit out of you."

"Shut up, you fucking hypocrite!" Sebastian yelled back, grabbing a hold of Claude's wrists and twisting them. "Remember that fucking time I had to pick you up near Sante Fe, along route 66, dead drunk and crashed into another car."

"That's not the fucking point. We were kids back then. You're a fucking adult now, act like one!"

"We're only adults when it fucking suits you, right?" Sebastian spat back, his eyes dark with aggression.

Ciel walked to Alois who sat on the steps to the porch, a joint loosely between his lips while he enjoyed the morning sun.

"Are we supposed to do something about this?" Ciel asked while sitting down next to the blonde. Alois shoved his aviator sunglasses down his nose and studied the navy haired male over the rim before he turned his icy blue eyes to the fallout against the car.

"Nah," Alois pushed the sunglasses up the bridge of his nose again and took a drag of his joint. "They'll figure it out together. They always do."

Ciel glanced sideways at the relaxed blonde. "You're allowed to use again?"

Alois grinned and tipped his head back. "Yes, Claude is finally tired of cleaning up my vomit... but, it's just until we have to go to the Grand Ole Opry next week."

"The Grand Ole Opry?!" Ciel exclaimed.

It temporarily dragged Sebastian's attention away from his testosterone fight with Claude and made him blink at his best friend.

"The Grand Ole Opry? Are we invited to the Grand Ole Opry?"

Claude loosened his grasp on Sebastian's collar and nodded. "Yes, we are. I got the call this morning. In about a week from now, we have to play a concert at the Opry, a concert with our newest songs."

Sebastian now easily shrugged Claude's hands off. "Then what the hell are we waiting for? Do we still have some sheets here to start working on the new songs? And did Alois bring his sticks?"

Ciel stared bamboozled at the two males as they passed him and Alois, talking about new songs and melodies as if Claude hadn't wanted to kill Sebastian moments before. Alois grinned, pushed himself up and extinguished his joint.

"Come on, let's go and make this happen," he grabbed Ciel's wrist and pulled him into the house, closing the door on all the issues that were stirring within the newly formed band.

* * *

No smut - some story though. Prepare yourself for a heartfelt conversation between Red and Sebastian sometime soon. If I feel inclined to update. Oh and hahaha... a smut between Rachel and Vincent? Ugh - I am so bad at writing from a female point of view. I did that up till 2 months ago, but I stink at it. It would be a chapter entirely from Vincent's point of view and I'm not sure if that'll work.

Yeah... so, I could be asking for reviews here. But, ugh - just. Whatever, do which ever suits you... I am pretty much done with motivation and shit anyway, so... I am probably too blissfully tipsy to care at this moment.

Although, again, to all my frequent reviewers, thank you - for everything!

Thank you for reading. Period!


	17. Act 53

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

Ok, so - I suppose this is some little apology for my minor mental meltdown of yesterday. I had a rough couple of weeks, and I should just suit up and suck it up and not bother you all with it.

Oh, to my reviewer - sex with the journalist student was amazing. A nice 2 to 3 hour, session that was leisurely, a little rough and not awkward. It was all relaxed and he was very stand-up and manly and all and that is an amazing change of pace after my ex, who only cared about pleasing himself. He was very eager to please and I liked that hahaha. We had fun, made jokes - man, it was just casual and great.

So, I hope I answered your question, and hell - I am writing a yaoi here, perv is my second name!

This is a builder chapter - no smut, some Grell and a good conversation between Anne and Sebastian. Not much of a chapter actually, and I'm even wondering why I'm even posting it, but, I just wanted to apologize for my stupid wasteland rant from the other night.

Enjoy, spelling check will follow, naturally!

O.

* * *

Sebastian drummed a rhythm on Ciel's leg while his own was shaking nervously. They had been sitting in the waiting room of Red's practice for a good ten minutes now and even though he kept denying that he was nervous, Sebastian hadn't been able to sit still ever since they got there. Across from them sat a couple who were more interested in suspiciously lurking at the two then their own children who were playing in the far corner of the room.

"She knows we're coming, right?" Sebastian asked again, his eyes shooting to the clock for the umpteenth time.

"Yes dear," Ciel teased him while he lazily skimmed through a pregnancy magazine. From the two, Ciel was probably the only one who realized how weird they must be looking together. Two males, one all nervous and seemingly excited while the other flipped through a magazine about getting pregnant and tried to calm the other down.

"What time did she expect us again? I thought she said one, and it is already fifteen past one. I mean, we were two minutes late because of that parking spot issue but that shouldn't automatically mean our appointment was given away. That is preposterous."

"Sebastian," Ciel threw the magazine down and reached into the older male's pocket. "Here," he retrieved the package of smokes. "Have one, it might calm you down."

"Yeah," Sebastian nodded gratefully and took a stick from the pack. Even when placed it between his lips and retrieved his Zippo, he was clueless as to why the couple was staring daggers at him.

"Euhm… Sebastian," Ciel placed a hand on his forearm.

"What?" He snarled, snapping his head to the navy haired male beside him.

Ciel smiled and raised his hand. "We're in the office of a gynecologist," he told him while fanning out his fingers.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "So?"

"Smoking is bad for pregnant women," Ciel said in an educating tone of voice while he nodded to the blonde and groggy looking woman opposite them.

"Oh," Sebastian's surprise was genuine and he gazed at his shaking hand that was about to light the Lucky Strike between his lips. "Right," he smiled and put the cigarette away. "My bet," he laughed awkwardly and raised his hand in apologetic manner.

"You know, I think it is very brave what you two are doing," the woman said all of a sudden while rubbing her growing stomach. Her husband tried to hush her when he saw the surprised looks on their faces. She waved it away and smiled heartily.

"What are we doing?" Ciel asked, frowning at the gleefully looking blonde.

"Well, you know," she bend forward and held her hand next to her mouth while she continued in a whispering tone. "Trying for a baby while… you know, being a gay couple and all."

Ciel's jaw dropped to the floor before a tumbled backwards with laughter while Sebastian exclaimed a very surprised what.

"We're not trying for a baby, and we are not a couple," Sebastian snapped. "How the hell could we even be trying to get a fucking baby – we can't annually pop them out like you do."

Ciel wiped a tear away and clenched Sebastian's shoulder as he tried to sit up again.

"You have to excuse my friend," he apologized to the offended looking couple. "We are here to see my aunt, who is sort of acting like my psychiatrist. Mental issues and all, you probably know what I mean. She asked my lover to come as well because we are trying to work out some problems that came into existence because of my mental issues."

"Yeah," Sebastian's eyes followed the couple while they stood, grabbed their kids and hurried out of the office. "That really explains it all, Ciel," he snorted.

"Who cares," Ciel purred as he snaked his arms around Sebastian's neck and licked his earlobe. "Now we have the room to ourselves."

"Ciel," Sebastian snapped as he tried to untangle the younger male's arms from around his neck. "What if your aunt walks in… or worse, that foul assistant of hers that kept gaping at us when she was still here."

"Don't worry, baby," Ciel whispered. "My aunt knows we are fucking, so, we're good."

"That is not the point, Ciel," Sebastian reasoned on. "I don't want her to have this kind of an image of me that I always screw around. You're her nephew, and she talks to your father. I don't want him on my bad side anymore than he already is."

"He's not on your bad side. He likes you, really. He just has an odd way of expressing that. Besides," Ciel slowly dragged his tongue down the tendons of Sebastian's neck and smirk against the cool skin when he lured a deep, guttural moan from the older male. "My father doesn't really like anybody who is fucking his son in the ass."

"Oh dear me…" Sebastian groaned, slapping a hand over his eyes while Ciel continued to slowly torture him vocally and psychically.

"Furthermore, he still cannot stomach the fact that his only son is gay. He wanted grandchildren, and he cannot see the bigger picture. At some point, he actually suggested I'd marry Elizabeth so that she could have my kids and I could keep screwing around."

Sebastian turned his head and stared deadpanned at the navy haired male. "He did not. You're making that shit up."

"Perhaps," Ciel chuckled, pinning his bottom lip between his teeth after. "I did get you to turn to me so that I can do this," he leaned in and placed a kiss on the parted lips. Sebastian groaned irritated against the lips but didn't protest when Ciel cleverly worked his tongue into the older male's mouth.

* * *

When the door of the practice opened, Sebastian tried to pull away, but Ciel tangled a hand in his hair and persistently kept on kissing him.

"Would you look at that," they heard Anne sigh. "Such a good looking couple."

"Ciel," Sebastian murmured in the mouth and grabbed a hold of the younger male's wrist. "Ciel, stop," he commanded, tearing the hand away from his hair and tipping his head back so that the eager lips were left kissing the air. A sly smirk curled Ciel's lips and he winked at him before standing and turning to his aunt.

"Aunt Anne," he stated and walked over to the redhead. "There was this couple but for some reason, they left in a hurry."

Anne lifted an eyebrow at Ciel and crossed her arms. "I'm sure you took care of that," she murmured, straightening Ciel's patch. "Just give me one second, my patient is still getting dressed."

The minute after she spoke those words, Ciel was harshly shoved aside by a red blob that hurled itself at Sebastian. The older male jumped to his feet, took one step aside and watched the person crash into the couch.

"Bassy!"

Ciel blinked confused at the redhead that groveled at Sebastian's feet. He was male, entirely dressed in red with a print of Sebastian's profile on his t-shirt.

"Good fuck Grell," Sebastian sighed annoyed as he tried to brush the fan off. "What the hell are you doing at a gynecologist's office?"

Grell glanced up at him from below and batted his eyelashes. "A girl needs to get her check up every now and then. Besides," he pushed himself up and perched a hand on his hip. "Red and I love to talk girl stuff."

"For the umpteenth time, Grell, you are not a fucking women."

"Exactly," Grell confirmed, snapping a finger at Sebastian and tossing a lock of his red hair over his shoulder with his free hand. "I am so your type, why won't you fuck me?"

"Ugh, probably because you are male," Sebastian muttered, taking a step back when Grell was getting too close into his personal space again.

"Not true," Grell chirped, snapping around and pointing at Ciel. "Rumor has it that you are fucking shark bait over there. And by the looks of it, it is so true. Such a scoop!"

"Why the hell would you know that?" Sebastian snarled while he pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation.

"Because I am the head of your fan club – Sebastian's Butlers, we invited you to conventions but you never showed."

"Of course not, the last thing I need is being alone in a room filled with lunatics such as yourself."

"Ouch," Grell placed a hand over his heart. "That hurt, Bassy. But, I am more than willing to be your masochist, if you let me be your lady for one night."

"Why don't we just leave you two to the talking," Anne suggested, placing her hands on Ciel's shoulders. "In the meanwhile, I will catch up with my nephew," she pushed him into the office and closed the door on Sebastian's desperate plea not to leave him alone with that nutcase.

"Are you sure we can just leave him like that. This Grell person seemed like he was getting ready to hump Sebastian at any minute."

"Meh, Sebastian is a big boy, he can take care of himself. So, anything new happen between you two?" Anne walked to her desk and sank down in her chair before Ciel could take it.

"Well," Ciel walked to the desk and leaned against the edge. "He dropped by the other night, dead drunk and demanding that I admitted that I loved him."

"No!" Anne stared wide-eyed at her motionless nephew. "So… what happened?"

Ciel picked up the New Orleans snow globe that stood on her desk and shook it. "He forgot about it."

Anne frowned. "He forgot about it?"

"Yes. Like I said, he was extremely drunk and had some sort of a blackout. It's no big deal, really. At least I told him and he didn't walk away."

"No, because he can't remember. Is that how you want this relationship to go down, you can only express your feelings for him when he's drunk."

Ciel ignored her question and just stared at the globe in his hand.

"Ciel? Answer me."

"I don't fucking know, ok. Do I want him to know that I love him? Of course. Do I want to risk jeopardizing what we have by telling him how I feel? No, I do not. Just, leave it, and," he snapped a finger at his aunt. "Don't you fucking dare talk to him about this."

"Ciel," she clasped a hand over her heart. "I am a doctor, I took a vow of secrecy. I would never share inside information with other patients."

"Yes, you would," Ciel quipped, putting the globe down with a soft thud. "We both know that you're the biggest gossip around these parts of Tennessee."

"It hurts that you even think I would do something like that." Anne watched her nephew push himself off the desk and walk to the door.

"Don't lie, you suck at it. I'll go and see if that Grell person hasn't assaulted Sebastian yet."

"You have nothing else to talk about?"

Ciel's hand curled around the door knob while he thought about her question. A smile crept over his lips when he thought about their relaxed drive back to Sebastian's home the morning after. Anne watched the serene expression and became painfully aware how much Ciel was starting to look like Vincent.

"We had a nice moment, when we drove back to his house the morning after. It was, good and peaceful. No awkwardness. If I had told him about the night before, that moment never would've happened. I'd rather have moments like those with him, times in which we can be together and not say anything at all and feel good about it then tell him I love him and ruin it. Do you understand?"

Anne's eyes drooped to her desk and everything he just said was how she felt about her brother-in-law. She had loved Vincent, from the moment she saw him, but to salvage their relationship, she never told him how she felt – not once.

"Anne?"

Even his voice sounded like Vincent's and she smiled at him through heart wrenching moment.

"I won't tell him anything – I promise."

Ciel smiled, and it was another painful reminder that she had lost the love of her life, but had to live with the knowledge that he married her sister every single day for the rest of her life.

"Thanks, aunt Anne," Ciel opened the door and arched an eyebrow at Sebastian who had his foot planted in Grell's face while the redhead groveled at his feet, begging for his touch. Ciel shook his head with a chuckle, told Sebastian he could go in and looked over his shoulder.

"Love you, Madame Red."

Anne smiled at the nickname Ciel had given her when he was still a young boy.

"Love you too, little Earl Phantomhive."

* * *

Sebastian lifted his foot off Grell's face and yanked his leg out of the redhead's clenching arms. He warned Ciel not to make any eye-contact with his deluded fan and pressured him not to share any personal information. After that, and a solid promise from Ciel that he would ignore Grell, he reluctantly stepped into the office and closed the door behind him. Anne stood, offered him a wide smile and asked him what his poison was.

"A beer," Sebastian chuckled awkwardly, combing his digits through his hair.

"I'm afraid I don't have any beer, but," she lifted a finger, unlocked a drawer in her desk and pulled out two glasses and a bottle of vodka. "Will this do too?"

"Meh," Sebastian shrugged and walked to the chair opposite the desk. "I am not picky," he sat down and thanked her for the glass on strong liquor. The toasted and both took a big gulp of the translucent drink. Sebastian hissed when the alcohol seeped down his throat and thanked Anne when she refilled the glass.

"So," Anne laced her fingers under her chin and propped her elbows up on the desk. "How are you doing, Sebastian?"

"Pretty good, I suppose," he rolled the glass between his palms and gazed in her fiery red eyes. They were the color of spider lilies, and so was her hair and lipstick. She was truly a red Madame and it suited her perfectly.

"How are things between you and Ciel lately?"

"Good as ever. We're good friends and the bonds between all the band members are strong – solid even."

Anne waved it away. "I do not care about that band. I want to know more about you," she snapped a finger at him. "You and Ciel. Isn't there anything stirring between you two?"

"Not that I can think off," Sebastian frowned. "What are you getting at?"

Anne took her necklace off and raised it in the air. "Gorgeous piece of jewelry, isn't it? It is the Phantomhive crest. Vincent got all of us one when he married my sister. Would you just look at the refined detailing, so soothing – relaxing even."

Sebastian arched an eyebrow while she slowly dangled the piece of jewelry in front of his eyes.

"Can you feel that – such a relaxing feeling, just looking at it swing back and forth."

"Are you trying to hypnotize me?" Sebastian asked out of the blue. Her pupils dilated a little and Anne put the necklace down.

"No. Of course not – what makes you say that?" She fumbled with the lock while she tried to put the jewelry back on, her cheeks slightly coloring with shame.

"Yeah… yes you were, haha – my dear Madame Red, if you wish to know something about me, all you need to do is ask."

"It is not something I need to know about you. It is something I need you to remember."

Sebastian frowned. "You mean about the other night that I went to Ciel and was completely wasted. I assume he told you about that."

"That is exactly what I mean and of course he told me."

"Something did happen, didn't it? I have tried to find the right moment to ask him about it, but he is all secretive about it and brushes me off when I bring it up. Do you know what happened?"

"Yes, I do."

"He told you? Would you please tell me because I am trying to remember but it is just all one big blur, like my mind wants to block something out."

"Yes. I would love to tell you but he swore me to secrecy. But, I cannot stand seeing my dear nephew in so much pain."

Sebastian leaned forward and laced his hands together. "Am I the cause of his pain?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that you are necessarily the cause of it… you are a big element of it, though."

"How big?"

"Let's say, Chernobyl big."

"That big?"

Red lifted a finger. "I wasn't done yet. Chernobyl and that nuclear disaster in Japan a couple of years ago big. I wouldn't go as far as world war two big but… well," she pinched her lips and squinted her eyes. "Perhaps if you look at it from that angle."

"Are you seriously comparing me to Adolf Hitler?!"

"Oh, no-no-no-no, dear boy, of course not."

"Can't you just lift a tip of the veil. Give me some sort of a clue – it feels like this is something really big and we cannot use that fucking immense elephant in the room right now. We need to focus on the concert in the Opry and that is impossible if I am cracking my brain over this, wondering if I have done something wrong and hurt him. I mean, yes – I know he had this accident and I was a total insensitive jerk driving while being drunk, but, I apologized for that and promised I wouldn't do it anymore."

"You drove while being drunk?"

"Long story – we talked about it. So, judging by your surprise, it wasn't about that."

"Not at all. It was about something he said."

Sebastian mashed his brows together and tried his best to remember something – anything, no matter how small.

"Come on Sebastian! Forgetting something as crucial as this can mean the end of your bond with Ciel as you know it."

Sebastian's pupils dilated. "Was it something about the band? Is there something wrong?"

Anne could no longer keep her mouth shut and she blurted it out before she could slap a hand over her mouth and honor her promise to Ciel.

"No, you daft idiot. He loves you. He told you that he loves you and you forgot about it!"

She instantly slapped a hand over her mouth and stared wide-eyed at the motionless Sebastian. The raven haired male glared back at her, his face a mixture of different emotions.

"And I forgot that?" He murmured after a few moments of awkward silence.

"You did – oh please, I beg you Sebastian. Do not tell Ciel I told you. He made me swear I wouldn't. He is so afraid of losing you because you don't want anything committed and I'd hate to know that it was my fault I ruined his chances with you."

Sebastian swallowed, tried to smile and shook his head. "Your secret is safe with me. I won't tell him you told me."

A thick silence filled the office space as the two stared at each other. Sebastian seemed to look through Anne while she tried to study his expression.

"What am I supposed to do about this?"

"You either tell him that you don't want to be involved with him and break this off before he gets really hurt, or you finally admit to yourself that you are falling for him as well and be happy with him."

"But – we are a country band. That would never work, the public wouldn't give us a chance in hell."

"Is the public more important than a good and solid relationship?"

Sebastian had to think about that question and he repeated it to himself, chewing on the words and silently molding them over. After a minute, he pushed his chair back and stood.

"Thank you for this conversation. I appreciate that you took time out of your busy day to talk to me."

"But, Sebastian…" Anne pushed her chair back and stood. "Does this mean you think the public opinion is more important than your own happiness."

Sebastian's fingers curled around the door knob and he dropped his chin to his chest.

"I am an artist, first and far most. The public can make and break me – they can break Ciel, and everything we have built. I don't wish to put him through that kind of pain."

"Then – you're just being a coward."

Sebastian smiled to himself. "Perhaps," he looked over his shoulder. "But I try to do what is best for him and our band. Good day."

* * *

Ciel snapped his head up and studied Sebastian with suspicion. The older male smiled and pulled his keys from his jeans.

"Ready to go?"

"Sure," Ciel told him insecure. He put the magazine down, stood and followed Sebastian out.

"How did your conversation with Red go? What did she say to you? Did she try that stupid hypnotize thing on you? God, please tell me she didn't."

Sebastian chuckled. "Relax. Let me answer at least one question before asking another."

Ciel exhaled a shaky breath and stopped at the passengers' side of the red Cadillac. "Alright, how did the conversation go?"

Sebastian unlocked the car, offered him a wide smile and told him it had been fine before he slipped into the driver's seat to hide his true feelings.

* * *

Is Sebastian a coward? Or is he really just trying to protect Ciel and his band? The music industry is a hard business, once you made it, people are out to break you and I expect Sebastian just wants to protect Ciel from that kind of pain. Or, maybe he is really that selfish - who knows, I'll let you all be the judge of that.

I know, this wasn't much of a chapter - in fact, it stinks. I might alter it at some point but for now I am satisfied with it. Keep those mailboxes in check because I am going to bring back TCM this weekend, for real this time!

Thank you all, for reading, supporting and the kind words - they make my day a little better.


	18. Act 59

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

Ah people, I love it that you all get caught in the little web that I tangle. Who would've guessed that some people would actually want to smack Sebastian around while they dot over Claude?! Because, c'mon, this has to be a first that anybody is creating a grudge against this heavenly creature, right? (ironic, since neither Sebastian and I believe in the divine or heaven. No offence intended to religious people, everybody to his or her own.)

This was supposed to be the chapter of the voodoo experience festival in New Orleans, but after the first 200 words, ideas kept popping into my head and if I had continued, this chapter would've become a 10.000 word lengthy hell hole. The voodoo experience is supposed to be a very sweet and slightly revealing chapter. There is going to be so much sugar and spice, and everything nice that it might risk causing diabetes. (Again, no pun intended here.) There would've been too much information, all cramped in a long chapter. Look at it this way - now, you get an extra chapter!

Also, my sweet bumblebees; thank you for the love! It is greatly appreciated and graciously received. All you guys mean the world to me and I cannot express my feelings in words, seriously - so I hope you can feel it through my writing.

Now, let me take you on an adventure to the world of Dr. Facilier. Let's begin our road trip to the Bayou!

Enjoy!

O.

* * *

"Argh… I'm so fucking tired of this," Alois shoved a pile of papers forward and sprawled himself over the dining room table. "It is fucking impossible. We've been sitting here for two days straight. I need to get out! Look at me," he grabbed skin of his forearm. "I look like a fucking zombie – I need the sun," he whined.

Claude answered his nattering by telling him he was naturally pale, Ciel silently agreed with it and Sebastian gazed up at the blonde from below, twirling his mug of lukewarm espresso between his hands. It was four in the morning of the second day that hey had been forcing themselves to work on the last four songs. Three of them were easily written, but even whisky tanking yankees, heartache and banjos get old. Inspiration had left them entirely and they were all groggy and fed up.

"You know, for once, I actually agree with you," Sebastian told Alois and threw the remnants of the thick, strong coffee back before standing. "We need a change of scenery," he continued and stretched his stiff body.

"Thank you," Alois sighed relieved, snapping a hand at him while giving Claude a smug look that somebody finally agreed with him. "What do you have in mind?"

Sebastian placed his palms flat on the wooden table and leaned forward. "I've been graving beignets for days now."

"Yes, oh yes," Alois moaned. "Why did I ever choose that," he snapped a finger at the stoic Claude. "Over someone as perfect as you," he purred, smoldering and winking tauntingly at Sebastian. Alois saw Ciel shift uncomfortably in his seat when Sebastian told him it was beyond him as well.

"Because I was the only one foolish enough to willingly take you," Claude interrupted, repositioning his glasses with his forefinger and gazing at Ciel who sat across from him. A tiny smirk crossed his lips and Ciel wasn't sure if that was Claude being helpful towards him or just his bastard self, being snide to Alois.

"Excuse me," Alois bellowed, turning to Claude. "If I remember correctly, you nearly begged me to be your boyfriend," he continued, snapping his fingers. "You send me bluebells for my birthday."

"…You took money from my wallet and send bluebells to yourself," Claude corrected him. "And I am not your boyfriend," he added annoyed.

"… Yes, _life partner_," Alois sighed irritated, using his fingers as quotation marks and tsked. "Whatever, you know… You rescued me when my room was on fire."

"I rescued you because you set our room on fire when you tried to burn that ridiculous butterfly necklace you got from your ex," Claude retorted before he shoved a paper Ciel's way and suggested they changed the second verse. Alois sucked air in his lungs, puffed his chest out and screamed liar in Claude's ear. The older male just ignored him until Alois snatched his glasses off his nose and put them on the tip of his own.

"Alois, give them back," Claude told him in a warning tone of voice.

"Come and get them, you bastard," Alois quipped while he crossed his arms, leaned his chair back and glanced daring at the raven haired male.

"So," Ciel pulled the diadem from his hair, turned to Sebastian and propped his cheek up against his knuckles. "Beignets. I know a great place, just east of Main. They have this beignet pyramid and…" Ciel stopped talking when Sebastian placed a finger against his lips.

"If you want really good beignets, you follow the sweet voodoo music," he murmured with a mysterious twinkle in his crimson eyes.

While Ciel mashed his brows together in confusion, Alois abruptly stopped his quarrel with Claude, jumped to his feet and threw his hands in the air.

"Voodoo! Sebastian, you are one talented and brilliant man, I'll go change. Road trip, woohoo!"

"I'm going to take a quick shower," Sebastian turned his wrist upwards and checked his watch. "We'll be leaving in fifteen minutes."

"What is going on here? Where are we going?" Ciel asked anxiously, now turning to the only one who hadn't commented on the entire idea. Claude was gathering the music sheets and placed them in a brown leather briefcase.

"We're going to New Orleans, naturally," Sebastian whispered in his ear, making Ciel suck on the inside of his cheek to keep down the deep guttural moan that welled up in his chest. "I got us some tickets for the voodoo music experience online yesterday."

"New Orleans? But that is about a six hour drive!"

"Then what are you sitting around and wasting time for? Jump into the shower, go get the refreshments, do whatever but get off your ass and do something useful. We're leaving in ten now."

"Isn't the voodoo festival at the end of October, right before the Halloween festival?"

"It is, but they pushed it a couple of days forward, something to do with the Halloween festival being an extra three days to celebrate some dead witch or something equally stupid. Now, c'mon," Sebastian clasped his hands together. "Let's get this fucking show on the road. Jack is performing today and I'd love to have a chat with him before the show." And with that, Sebastian exited the kitchen and ran up the flight of stairs.

Ciel raised a puzzled eyebrow at Claude. "Jack? Jack who?"

"White," Claude stated calmly, locking the briefcase and standing to place it in the kitchen cabinet they kept it in. "He and we go back some time. Jammed together at a festival in the Netherlands."

"No shitting way," Ciel exclaimed, turning in his seat to glare at the swing door Sebastian had left the kitchen through. "You guys know a lot of people."

"Yes, we do," Claude murmured, opening the fridge and glancing inside to check what they could bring on their trip. "We were very famous and loved."

"How modest of you," Ciel snorted, shoving his chair back and stretching his legs.

"Why do I want to try to be modest about the truth?" Claude stated simply, pulling cans of cassis and mountain dew out of the fridge and placing them on the counter.

"Of course you wouldn't," Ciel jumped to his feet. "I'm going to grab a quick shower as well."

Claude choose to just ignore him and continued his scavengers hunt for food that could be easily consumed while driving.

* * *

Ciel jogged up the stairs, humming a White Stripes tune he remembered from his rock period. At the top, he crashed into a cursing blonde. He nearly toppled backwards but the brute grabbed him by the collar and helped him catch his footing again.

"Watch where you're going, idiot," Ciel swore, clutching his chest and panting heavily from his collison with a certain death.

"Sorry dude," the blonde uttered gruff, his hand still tightly clasped over his eyes. "It wasn't intentional but that oaf Alois is dancing through his room, stark naked." He moaned tortured. "The moron flashed me his fucking dick."

Ciel blinked at the blonde, recognizing the deep voice from when he was on the telephone with Sebastian a couple of weeks ago.

"You're Bard, aren't you?"

"Yeah – who wants to know?"

"Ciel Phantomhive."

"Ciel Phantomhive?!" He nearly screamed on top of his lungs. He dropped his hand and made the fragile young male yelp involuntarily when he swept him off his feet and nearly crushed him in a tight hug.

"Easy, please," Ciel whimpered. "You're squeezing the life out of me."

"Dude, do you know how fucking awesome you are?" Bard harshly placed him back on his feet and made all kinds of gestures with his hand and feet. "I saw all your fucking concerts, your solos – dude, you are fucking brilliant," Bard fell to his knees and did a poor air guitar imitation. Ciel laughed awkwardly, combing his digits through his hair and looking around for anyone to come to his aid.

"Ey, geez," Ciel dragged his hand through his hair again and let it linger in the back of his neck. "I am glad you liked it that much."

"Liked it?" Bard jumped to his feet. "I freaking loved it!" And with a screwed up face and his bottom lip pinched between his teeth, he tried for another imitation.

"Bard, I already told you that I never saw anybody screw up an air guitar solo like you did. You're scaring the poor kid."

They both turned to the voice. Sebastian stood in the doorway, hand high on the frame and casually leaning into it. Drops of water fell gradually from his bangs and a towel, loosely wrapped around his slender hips was the only thing that covered his vitals. Ciel swallowed the animalistic growl that welled up in his throat and could only gape at the vision that could've walked straight out of a history book on Greece.

"Dude, why the fuck didn't you warn me Ciel Phantomhive was here," Bard nearly floated on air while he skipped to Sebastian, which made both Sebastian and Ciel arch a suspicious eyebrow. "You knew I wanted to meet him."

"He has been here for two days straight, you fucking idiot. If you had come out of your room for anything other than taking a piss and grabbing booze, you would've noticed. Is the girl you keep in there still alive or has she perished from the stench of your sweat and dirty clothes."

"Ha ha, very funny," Bard quipped. "If you must know, she left because of it, and because I was caught up in a videogame with Finnigan. Did you know those whores fly through the air if you mess them up real good," Bard raised his hands and pretended to shoot something, entirely illustrated with gun sounds and spit.

"Put the finger guns away," Sebastian murmured, rubbing his temples with his thumb and forefinger. "We're leaving for New Orleans in about five minutes and I need you to feed Bard… the cat," he added to make sure the blonde knew he wasn't talking about him. "He's outside right now so you might have to look for him between the hibiscus bushes.

"Sure, sure, whatever you want," Bard waved it away and whirled around to Ciel. "Where are you guys going?"

"The voodoo experience," Sebastian answered for Ciel who was still too mesmerized with the older male to form a coherent answer.

"Righteous, dude – can we come?"

"I only bought four tickets."

"Meh, I bet they are selling some outside the festival area. C'mon, it'll give me a chance to talk to Ciel in person."

"Alois is coming as well," Sebastian reminded him coolly.

"S-So…" Bard said, his voice now a little hesitant where it had been very persistent before.

"And I am sure he is dressed up, you know Alois. Lace, bird gauze, suspenders. He takes dressing up for festivals very seriously and probably to the next level."

Bard gnashed his teeth and nodded sharply. "Right – never mind dude," he walked over to Ciel, told them they would talk some other time and stalked down the stairs to get some more Coronas.

* * *

Sebastian studied the expression on Ciel's face and smirked sly. "Do you like what you see?" he murmured, leaning into the frame and crossing his arms.

Ciel sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and saw the strained muscles of Sebastian's arms and slowly sauntered forward.

"That is quite the understatement," he spoke when he stood nearly nose to nose with the older male. He pushed one hand in his pocket and hooked the forefinger of his other behind the towel. It dropped around Sebastian's feet and Ciel moaned through pinched lips when he saw the semi erected dick.

Sebastian tipped his head back and gazed down on the younger male with a smug expression.

"Is that for me?" Ciel whispered, leaning in and curling his fingers around the shaft. Sebastian grinned and leaned down until his lips grazed Ciel's right ear.

"You've got five minutes," Sebastian murmured in a husky voice that was laced with seduction. "Make the best of it."

Ciel caught him off guard when he harshly shoved him into the bathroom and shut the door with his foot. He cornered Sebastian against the sink, dropped down to his knees and swallowed the dick whole, moaning satisfied to get a taste of the tangy precum again after two days.

Sebastian smirked content and tangled his fingers in the navy locks.

"That's a good boy," he whispered, tugging at the hair to show his appreciation. "Ah… fuck," he threw his head in his neck when Ciel bobbed back up, let the dick go with a sloppy pop and lapped at the slit. "A very good boy," Sebastian gasped, grabbing a fistful of the hair and dropping his chin to his chest to look at the mouth that slipped up and down his erection.

Ciel gazed up at him from below, roughly parted Sebastian's legs with his knee and reached up to massage his balls. He let his middle finger wander back over the scrotum and pressed it against Sebastian's hole.

"Ciel… fuck…" His lidded crimson eyes almost begged him not to do it, which was the tiny push Ciel needed. Without warning, he worked the tip of the finger inside and with another smooth thrust, his digit was fully sheathed. Sebastian clenched his teeth, refusing to cry out and let Ciel know he loved the feeling of this foreign intrusion. He wouldn't raise the veil and show Ciel how he could tame his dominance.

Ciel pulled back, staring up at the underside of Sebastian's clenched jaw. He smirked sly, lapped at the dick one more time to gather all the precum that leaked from it and got to his feet.

"Come here," he grabbed the back of Sebastian's head, forced it forward and attacked his mouth in an aggressive kiss, sharing his own precum with him. While violently kissing him, Ciel pushed a second finger in and immensely enjoyed the heat and clenching of the tight muscles.

"There," Ciel whispered against the gasping mouth. "There is no need to pretend you don't like it," he continued soothingly and reached between them with his free hand. "I know you love being an obeying bitch," he taunted while he started to jerk Sebastian off at a high tempo.

"Nhhaa… shit," Sebastian grunted against Ciel's smirk and writhed helplessly against the thrusting fingers. "Fuck... damn... Ciel," he threw his head in his neck and bucked his hips into the hand.

Ciel exercised a little more pressure on the throbbing dick and jerked it off with long and firm strokes which made Sebastian grunt hard and made his body jolt automatically against the skillful administrations. Spreading his fingers inside Sebastian, Ciel made him curse when he worked a third finger in and whispered dirty words against the radiating skin of Sebastian's chest. Downstairs, they heard Claude calling for them to hurry the fuck up.

"Feel my fingers fucking you, Sebastian?" Ciel teased and suckled on the skin of the older male's collarbone after. "Imagine what my dick must feel like, fully sheathed in that fantastic asshole of yours."

Sebastian groaned, dipped his head and grabbed a fistful of Ciel's hair. Forcing the younger male's head back, Sebastian crashed his lips on Ciel's and grunted hard while he came, sucking and nipping at Ciel's bottom lip while his body jerked uncontrollably.

"Your fucking five minutes are up. Either you're down within two or we are leaving without you," Claude growled from the hallway, pounding hard on the bathroom door. "Finish whatever _fucking_ business you are doing in the back of the car, we still got a six hour drive ahead of us!"

Sebastian gasped for breath against Ciel's lips. With the fingers still sheathed inside him, he could feel arousal cloud his mind and it prolonged his orgasmic bliss. Ciel smirked and yelled at Claude that they would be down in five.

Sebastian winched when Ciel pulled the fingers out and dropped his chin to his chest, hiding the blush of newfound excitement and shame. Ciel pushed his suspenders off his shoulders, kicked his Vans off and unbuttoned his pants.

"Come on, I think we can both use a shower," he told Sebastian while unbuttoning his grey dress shirt and tugging his socks off. Sebastian nodded, took the hand the younger male reached out to him and willingly followed him behind the glass panel to wash away his spilled semen and arousal underneath a cool shower of water.

* * *

"No-no-no."

"What? What is wrong with it."

"Alois, you are not wearing that. Period!"

"Why not?" The blonde twirled around on his heels. "This is my voodoo outfit."

"Because you look like a Victorian freak show, mixed with those ridiculous sparkling vampires," Claude spat. "It is preposterous and I will not allow it."

Alois put his hands in his sides and stomped his foot. "I do not look like a Victorian vampire!"

"No, you are not listening to me," Claude moaned, pushing his glasses up and rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "I said you look like a Victorian freak show mixed with those fairy vampires teenagers are so fond about these days. I demand you put on something else or you're not riding with us. You can walk for all I care but I will not be seen with you in that!"

"What about you," Alois raised his hand and fanned his fingers out. "You look like a nagging old sack with your vest and dress pants. A plain Jane! Shawl vests are so last season anyway."

"Says the Victorian bride of Frankenstein," Claude retorted coolly, repositioning his glasses and tugging a lock of his bangs behind his ear.

"I AM NOT THE VICTORIAN BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN!"

"You're close enough," Claude told him while leaping forward and whirling the fuming blonde around. "Go change into something that looks at least a little more presentable."

"What's going on?"

Sebastian stood in the doorway of the kitchen, holding the swing door open for him and Ciel. Claude and Alois both erupted into explanations, each in their own words and each with different hand gestures and facial expression.

As Sebastian tried to make sense of what the two were blabbering about, Ciel slowly took Alois's extravagant outfit in. He was wearing black shorts, a white dress shirt and a green vest. Long, black stockings peeked over the black laced up boots with purple bows and laces. A long, purple trench coat was draped over the back of a chair and was indubitably the finishing touch to the Victorian disaster. Compared to three of them; Claude, casual chic with neat Italian shoes, grey dress pants and a white shawl vest. Sebastian, handsome in grey dress pants and vest, white dress shirt and a black shoes and tie and Ciel, casual with jeans, Vans, a dress shirt and suspenders, Alois did seem to stick out as a sore thumb. After giving the outfit some more consideration, Ciel interrupted the endless discussion with three simple words.

"I like it," he stated bluntly, making Alois squeal and snap his fingers at Claude and the other two males blink with stupefied expressions.

"What?" Ciel shrugged. "It's not like he's going to change into something else anyway, besides," he checked his pocket watch. "Weren't we supposed to leave three minutes ago?"

"Exactly!" Alois skipped forward, wrapped an arm around Ciel's neck and bounced out of the kitchen, excitedly chanting voodoo and dragging Ciel along. Claude and Sebastian exchanged a weary look and just followed the two, knowing there was no real reasoning with either.

Sebastian tossed Claude his keys, telling him he could drive first. Alois insisted Ciel sat in the back seat with him and lazily draped his legs over Ciel's lap and sat close to him, talking exuberantly about his excitement to see the fire eaters. Claude backed out of the carport, made a sharp turn and pulled up.

* * *

"You got anything else than Bruce Springsteen in this damned thing?" Claude jammed some buttons on the outdated audio system, trying to switch to radio. Sebastian placed his cigarette loosely between his lips and opened the glove compartment. Huffing out some smoke, he pulled out his collection of tapes.

"That is so fucking old school," Ciel told him from the back. Sebastian looked at him through the reflection of the rearview mirror and smirked when Ciel told him he loved it.

"No, it is a fucking disgrace to modern technology," Claude sneered, relieved Sebastian finally took Bruce Springsteen out. "You could really use a nice mp4 system with a touchscreen in your car. A lot easier, you can upload your entire I-tunes library onto a usb or a memory card."

"And that would be a disgrace to the refined quality of this car," Sebastian pointed out, pushing a cassette into the radio and pressing play. The smooth tunes of Howlin' Wolf's Smokestack lightning vibrated from the boxes and while Claude started a discussion with Sebastian on why he should get a good audio system, Alois let Ciel on the secret that Claude was lethally obsessed with modern cars and everything that came with it.

When they finally turned up the I-55 S to New Orleans, a car filled with young women pulled up next to them. Throwing furtive looks sideways, they tried to catch the attention of the four handsome males in the car. Claude and Sebastian were too busy arguing what kind of radio system best suited Sebastian's fifties Cadillac and Ciel was too occupied with a texting his parents that he'd be in New Orleans for the entire day. Alois was the only one who caught their desperate attempts and waved exuberantly, innocence and ignorance in the entire gesture. The girls giggled and kept making hand gestures.

"Ciel," Alois whispered. Ciel did not hear him while his fingers kept zooming over the screen of his IPhone, telling his mother to shove her own dick up Sebastian's ass.

"Ciel!" The blonde snatched the phone from his hands.

"What the fuck, Alois!" Ciel snarled, trying to get the phone Alois held out of his reach back. Alois peeked at the screen and squealed excitedly.

"Oh, you're texting with Rachel?" Alois held the phone closer to his eyes to read the fine lettering. "Wouldn't you get jealous if she shoved her dick up Sebastian's ass."

The argument in the front seat was abruptly cut off and both Claude and Sebastian turned in their seats.

"She what?!" Both exclaimed with dumbfounded expression.

"Claude, the road!" Alois cried. The older male snapped around, cursed loudly and maneuvered the car back onto the highway before they turned off road. The other three sighed relieved, Ciel clutching his chest and Claude firming his grasp on the wheel until his knuckles turned white. Alois just continued, as if nothing had happened.

"Now that I've got everybody's attention," he chirped. "What do those girls in the other car want?"

Sebastian, Claude and Ciel each briefly glanced sideways. The bubbly blondes hopped up and down, cheering when they got the attention of all four of them.

"They want dick," Sebastian stated shortly before retrieving another smoke from his vest and lit it.

"Dick," Claude stated shortly and turned his attention back to the road.

"Definitely dick, can I have my phone back now?" Ciel asked, holding out his hand. Alois groaned and dropped it on the open palm.

"Girls are so fucking rancid," he shivered. "Always thinking about dicks and sex," he murmured on, crossing his arms and lifting his nose in the air. Ciel and Sebastian gave him and look while Claude spoke the words they were all thinking.

"Don't be such a fucking hypocrite, Alois. If I would allow it, you would've had a dick tattooed on your cheek."

"Correction," Alois said, raising a finger. "I would've have had your dick tattooed on my cheek," he snapped the raised finger at Claude. "So that I could lick it all day long."

"You're fucking disgusting," Claude snarled at the blonde.

"And we are nearly out of gas, pull up there," Sebastian told Claude, pointing to a gas station at the horizon. The girls in the car next to them were all but too excited to follow them and after the Cadillac stopped, they pulled up behind them and got out.

"This is fucking annoying," Ciel quipped, crossing his arms and watching the girls stroll up to their car. He knew Sebastian would never respond to their advances but the idea of those girl drooling over him was enough to unsettle him. Sebastian got out, leaned on the vinyl roof and bend down to gaze at the two in the backseat.

"You guys want something?"

"Yes!" Alois pushed the back of the chair forward and hopped out. "I want some of that rancid sour and sugared candy," he proclaimed. "You coming, Ciel?"

Ciel slipped out of the backseat and thanked Sebastian for giving him a hand. He stretched his stiff body and before he could neatly decline to Alois's offer, the blonde grabbed his arm and dragged him along anyway. Ciel threw a look over his shoulder and stared daggers at the blonde predators that closed in on Sebastian and Claude like a flock of vultures. He slapped a hand over his mouth when he actually heard himself hissing like an angry rattle snake, hung his head in shame and just followed the hyperactive blonde into the cool gas station store.

* * *

"Hello y'all."

Claude gazed up and frowned at the blonde that sat on the hood of Mary and her friends that leaned on the roof. They all screamed these boots are made for walking and it disgusted both males limitlessly.

"Splendid," Claude muttered annoyed, turning his attention back to the digits on the pump. Sebastian just offered them a friendly smile, one that concealed his irritation that the blonde bitch had the nerve to park her ass on his car.

"Where y'all heading?" She continued in her heavy Southern accent, winking at Sebastian and leaning forward, giving him a good view of her dazzling and tanned cleavage. "Can I have a smoke, baby?"

Sebastian sighed agitated, pulled another Lucky Strike from his package and handed it to her. He clicked his Zippo open and lit it for her before he lit his own.

"Thanks sugar. So," she leaned back on her elbows. Her tub top automatically hiked up and bared her trashy sparkling pink bellybutton piercing. A tattoo of a surfboard peeped out above the band of her worn jeans shorts. It was the only thing Sebastian didn't find modal and trivial about the girl.

"Where y'all going?" She asked, batting her lashes at them. With the heavy makeup she was sporting, both Claude and Sebastian indivually wondered how she managed to open her eyes at all.

"As far away from you as humanly possible," Sebastian stated coolly before he placed the cigarette loosely between his lips and retrieved his phone. She chuckled and rolled over, propping her legs up in the air. His suspicion became a hard reality when a tribal tattoo covered her lower back.

"Come on, baby. Don't you like some good Christian bitches?"

Claude put the fueling nozzle back in the pump and pulled the wallet from Sebastian's back pocket. "No, we don't like Christian bitches. Neither you nor the show. Excuse me."

Sebastian cursed under his breath while Claude left him alone with the four women to pay their fill and tell Alois and Ciel to hurry it up.

"Cranky fellow, ain't he?"

Sebastian shrugged. "Not really no. He's just telling the truth. We're not really attracked to the Daisy Duke types."

She pouted for a moment before a cat-like grin curled her lips again. "So," she slid off the car and landed on her heels. While she walked up to him, Sebastian just stared at her over the rim of his wayfarers, a blank expression on his face. "Y'all ain't going to tell where y'all heading?"

"Guess not," Sebastian answered as he subtly tried to back away from her lollipop pink claws. She wrapped her arms around his neck and reached put her neck.

"But what if I say," she stood on her tiptoes, her lips close to his. "Please."

"I'd still have to decline," Sebastian told her, trying to unwrap her arms from around his neck.

"Ciel? Do you like the green or the red ones better? I always had a favor for the red ones but I hanker for the greens ones now. You know what, we'll take them both, and some jellybeans," Alois slammed down four packages of candy, a bag of marshmallows and a jar of jellybeans down on the counter. "You want something too, Ciel? Ciel?" Alois gazed around the deserted shop.

"Don't bother," Claude told him and gestured to the window. Alois saw Ciel stomp to Sebastian and the four girls that had him cornered against the pump.

"But what if we just follow you? Do you like that handsome, playing cat and mouse?" She pressed her pelvic region against Sebastian and combed her fingers through his hair.

"I'd say that you could try," Sebastian shrugged, huffing out some smoke and shoving his wayfarers a little further up the bridge of his nose.

"If I said that you are worth the try," she whispered, closing the gap between them.

"I'd tell you to get your cheap bleached dye job and ugly manicured claws away from my boyfriend."

They turned to the voice. Ciel stood behind them, his arms crossed and his head tilted back. With the diadem pushing his bangs out of his eyes, the angry frown on his face was all the more ominous. Sebastian stared motionless at him for a moment before he grinned.

"That is correct," he said, now easily untangling the arms off the blonde conniving shrew. Ciel smirked triumphant when Sebastian walked his way, his attractiveness intensified by the rising red sun.

"You're gay?!" The girls finally stammered, staring in disbelief at the two handsome males. To proof their point, Sebastian casually wrapped his arm around Ciel's shoulders and Ciel nuzzled the skin of Sebastian's throat with his nose.

"Oh, Ciel! Look what Claude got me."

Alois skipped their way, holding up a stuffed rabbit. Claude slogged after him, one hand in his pocket and the other wrapped around a brown paper bag.

"Look, it has a foul look on its face and patch as well. It reminded me of you," Alois giggled, hugging the bunny tight to his chest. Sebastian held up his hand and Claude placed the wallet in it.

"You got him that with my money?"

"I suspect it is the only way to shut him up for a good hour or so," Claude stated, concealing the endearing smile that curled his lips when he saw Alois push the bunny in Ciel's face. Sebastian perched his lips for a moment, shrugged and took the keys from Claude.

"Then it was worth every damned penny," he spoke and leaped forward. He rounded the car and smiled at the girls that leaned on the vinyl roof.

"Do you ladies mind getting the fuck off my car," he asked, smiling so politely it couldn't almost be considered an insult. They nodded dense with an owl expression on their faces.

Alois practically dove into the backseat, patting on the empty spot next to him and beckoning Ciel to join him. The navy haired male groaned, rolled his eye and slipped into the backseat, ready to be nattered at for the entire ride to New Orleans. Claude put the chair straight, sank down in his seat and closed the door.

"Ready?" Sebastian asked, turning the engine on.

"Yes! Road trip continued! Voodoo experience, here we come!" Alois twittered while throwing his hands into the air.

Sebastian accelerated, making the wheels spin a good four seconds before he actually pulled up. It caused a dust cloud that hit the immensely baffled blondes straight in the face. Coughing and cursing, they watched the red Cadillac with the four potential husbands take off, but none of them was very eager to chase after the handsome males.

* * *

_No Daisy Duke type girls were harmed or sandblasted during the making of this chapter. And no, I am not sure if they shift dates of the festival around, it just worked better with my time line, so please, do not hate me for messing with the festival dates._

Smut-smut-smut! Yes people, we are back in the gutter... Woohoo! Now, no time for thumb twiddling for me, I am onto writing the next chapters of MM and TCM.

Oh, I do like to take this time to thank my dear Miss Karii Malfoy. She also told me she is drawing me a fanart for MM - excited! I am starting to feel like a famous person here haha. I love it. Just; love-love-love!

And to you, dearest of all girls, Julie; I miss you. Wherefore art thou gone, my sweet?

Well, all my fireflies - review, make a proud writer. Oh, and for those who haven't checked their mailboxes this weekend; shame! The new TCM is out people! The Circus is back in town. Shoo and go read and review my baby TCM, please?


	19. Act 61

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

This is a black day in the history of Motivate Me. People, after the disastrous disappointment the previous chapter turned out to be, a chapter I was extremely proud off, I shouldn't even be uploading this - I should just be ashamed. But, I am horrible at keeping something to myself.

Now, before I started pointing fingers and blame people who aren't to blame for my failure... I shall stop this impossible rant.

So, let me capture your attention once again and cruise with me down the Bayou while enjoying the soft humming of the fireflies - let the melodies of a sweet harmonica lead you on this trip down to heart of New Orleans.

Enjoy!

O.

* * *

"No… Elizabeth," Ciel shifted in the passengers' seat and propped his knees up against the dashboard. He jammed the phone between his shoulder and ear and rubbed his temples while the blonde kept ranting pointless things in his ear.

"Elizabeth… Elizabeth? Lizzy! We are not going to try out matching outfits tomorrow, period! We are not a real couple, we are an on screen couple, I thought I explained that to you already, multiple times in fact!"

Ciel threw a tortured glance sideways. Sebastian's eyes were focused on the road, but almost as if he felt Ciel was watching him, he angled his head and winked at him over the rim of his wayfarers. The younger male melted inside and bit on the inside of his cheek not to moan.

"Elizabeth. I have to go, we arrived at the festival. Sure, I'll call you sometime tomorrow. No, not tonight – n… no… bye, Elizabeth!"

Sebastian parked the car, turned the engine off and shifted in his seat. "Fake girlfriend trouble?" He asked, draping his arm over the back of his chair.

"You have no fucking idea," Ciel groaned, massaging his throbbing temples. "For some reason, she keeps denying or deliberately forgetting the fact that we are not an actual couple. It's exhausting."

Sebastian pouted briefly before an apologetic smile curled his lips and leaned in. "In due time, you might not need a fake girlfriend anymore," he whispered, his crimson eyes sparkling with a mysterious emotion.

Ciel mashed his brows together, not sure what to make of what Sebastian just told him. Before he could ask, Sebastian had turned in his seat and smacked Claude's knee. The raven haired male's body jerked and he inhaled deep before opening his eyes.

"What?" He snarled sleepily, turning his head left and right to determine where he was. Alois groaned next to him, tangled his fingers in the soft vest and snuggled a little closer into his side, muttering incoherent words.

"We're here," Sebastian informed him before getting out of the car and slamming his door. The hard thud woke Alois up. He snorted and automatically kicked Ciel's chair, jerking the young man's body forward.

"Watch it, idiot," Ciel snapped, turning in his seat and staring daggers at the blonde. Alois stretched and yawned, wiggling his body in excitement.

"What's with the foul look, Ciel?" He asked, and pouted immediately after. "Angry Sebastian didn't get you a toy animal too?" Alois leaned forward and pushed the bitter looking bunny into Ciel's face. "Perhaps he can win you one at the carnival," the blonde chirped happily.

"I don't want any fucking stuffed animal," Ciel snarled, snatching the doll from Alois's hands and throwing it on the driver's seat. "I'm not a child," he added through gritted teeth, yanked at the handle and practically kicked the door open. Alois arched an eyebrow at Claude. The man just shrugged his shoulders, pushed the chair forward and got out.

"Oh woow!" Alois gasped when they got out. "It looks fucking brilliant!" He squealed, clasping his hands in front of his mouth and hopping from leg to the other. "C'mon," he grabbed Claude's sleeve and dragged the reluctant male along. Sebastian made sure his car was locked and easily caught up with the slogging Ciel.

"Something wrong?" He cocked his head and peered down on the navy haired male over the rim of his sunglasses. Ciel shrugged nonchalant and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"It's nothing," he murmured, gazing at his feet while they strolled after Claude and Alois.

Sebastian bend down until his lips aligned with Ciel's ear. "If it is about the toy… I thought you wouldn't like such materialistic and trivial things."

"Of course I don't," Ciel snapped back bitterly. "I am not a child you have to buy gifts."

Sebastian's pupils dilated for a second at the harsh tone of voice Ciel used. After, he breathed a smile and placed a hand on the navy locks. "Then I shall win you one at the carnival."

Ciel stopped, grabbed Sebastian wrist and forced him to stop too. "For the second time. I don't need such cliché expressions of affection. I'd rather have you suck my dick at a toilet or something," he told him coolly.

The sunglasses slipped down Sebastian's nose and revealed the puzzled look in the crimson eyes. Ciel had to gnaw on his lip not to snap at him, demanding what he meant by that he might not need a fake girlfriend anymore in due time but with the raven haired man blinking at him, he couldn't summon the courage to confront him. He growled, whipped around on his heels and threw his arms in the air.

"Fine, you can win me some ridiculous toy," he muttered, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. "But I don't like bitter rabbits," he added through pouted lips. Sebastian chortled, casually draped an arm around Ciel's shoulders and automatically forced him to walk along again.

"Noted. I shall win you the ugliest and foulest looking thing in the entire joint," he joked. "And you will love it because I stood up like a man and got my lady a toy."

Ciel coughed to mask the laugh that welled up in his chest, rolled over his tongue and left his lips in a too gleeful giggle. "Shut up, you idiot."

At the gates, Sebastian handed over their tickets, and after they all received a wristband with happily smiling skulls and a well-meant enjoy your day, they entered the park. An on sugar-rush Alois grabbed Ciel's hand and dragged him to storyland. Ciel could barely make out what Sebastian called after them but he swore it had something to do with him and Claude going to see Jack White and that they'd meet in an hour at the beignet stand near the Pavilion. Deducing that resistance was useless, Ciel just went along with the hyperactive blonde.

* * *

"Oh, would you look at that?!" Alois put a hand against his forehead and pointed at the horizon. Ciel threw a quick glance ahead and saw the blonde male run to an enormous pirate ship. The children that were playing on the plastic thing were more than charmed with the adult blonde that acted like a five year old while he shivered his timbers, danced the hempen jig, belayed and parleyed in a pirate like voice.

"Ahoy there, landlubber," Alois called from the deck to Ciel who sat on a bench in the shadows of a great live oak tree. "Why won't you come up 'ere and scrub me boots!"

Ciel rolled his eye and leaned back, the palms of his hands flat on the stone bench. "No thank you. You can scrub your own f-ing boots," he spat back, minding his language now that he was under strict parental supervision.

"Gar," Alois shook his fist at him, joined by several of the youngsters who were deeply intrigued with the extravagant blonde. "I'll crush ye barnacles for that treason. Ye'll walk the plank for that, savvy? Dead men tell no tales, matey."

Ciel scowled and closed his eyes. "And who's going to make me?"

"I, yar," Alois sneered back.

"Pft, you and what army?"

"This army. Get him kids!"

Ciel's eye popped open and before he could make a run for it, he was attacked by little children. Eight sets of hands tickled his sides and poked his thighs.

"Oi, get off me," Ciel cried, snorting with laughter as he tried to squirm out of the tiny claws. With a loud roar, he toppled backwards, taking the children with him.

"G-Get… hahaha… get ohff m-m-me," Ciel hiccupped between laughs. He shook one of the children who held his hands down off and tickled the one that startled his hips, finally surrendering to the tickling and actually enjoying himself.

A shadow cast over them and Alois grinned smug at him, his head tilted and his arms crossed.

"Had enough?" He sneered, perching his hands on his hips and bending down.

"P-Please… A-A-Alois," Ciel laughed, now tickling two of the kids with both hands. "G-Get these little… hahaha… demons off me."

"Will you scrub my boots?"

"N-Never."

"Fine… I think he needs a little more tickling, kids."

"Alright," Ciel laughed. "I-I s-sur-rrender… p-please… g-get them OFF ME," Ciel cried out when the kids started to poke him in more intimate spots.

"Ey," Alois grabbed the little rascal in his collar and easily lifted him into the air. "No poking the noodle," he said in an educative tone, wagging his finger at the ginger haired and grey eyed boy. He grinned wide, showing a missing front tooth.

"Luka!" His mother called. Alois smiled endearing, put him down and gave him a soft pat on the bum as he ran off.

"Mommy, mommy," he beckoned the fair haired woman to bend down and standing on his tiptoes, he told her about the blonde and eye patch pirates. Before walking away, Luka waved exuberantly at Alois. The blonde raised his hand in a greeting manner and watched them walk off for a moment before he bend down and helped Ciel fight of the other seven children.

"Do you allow yourself any fun?"

"Excuse me?"

Alois and Ciel had strolled through storyland for a good half an hour before the blonde made the navy haired male buy them blue popsicles, which they had been eating in peace on a bench near the dragon slide until Alois broke the silence.

Alois cocked his head to the side and smiled at the puzzled Ciel. "You know what I mean. Just now, with those kids. I never see you laugh like that, so spirited and careless. So, do you ever allow yourself any fun."

"Sure I do," Ciel answered, images of having sex with Sebastian popping into mind.

"Besides squeezing the noodle," Alois lectured, wagging his finger at the sly grin on Ciel's lips. "Can't you ever think of anything else, you dirty boy," he quipped, tapping Ciel on the nose.

"I'm a grown up, Alois. I don't play pirate anymore."

"You should because frankly, you suit the role perfectly," Alois taunted, nodding to Ciel's patch.

"Thanks," Ciel snorted, rolling his eye. "Useless asshole."

"No-no! Such words will not be spoken in storyland. Only sugar and spice, and everything nice," Alois chirped before he suckled on his popsicle again.

Ciel watched him for a moment as the warm autumn breeze played with his blonde locks and the sun reflected in his icy blue eyes. Alois looked so careless and relaxed, like he had no real care in the world. Even now that the competition and the concert at the Opry were dawning and drove the other three up the wall, Alois remained calm and strangely enough, collected. In fact, if he really thought about it, the blonde might actually be the most solid factor in the entire band and Ciel admired him for it.

"How do you do that?"

Alois popped the popsicle out of his mouth, angled his head and blinked at Ciel. "Do what?"

"You know… be so calm and careless. Like you have no real cares in the world."

Alois grinned and lapped at the blue treat. "Because I don't have any real cares in this world... or the next one," he stated simply and licked a trail of melted blue popsicle off his hand and wrist.

Ciel frowned. "So, you weren't worried about those girls, attacking Claude at the gas station earlier this morning."

"Dear crap no," Alois laughed, gently shoving Ciel's shoulder. "C'mon, I know Claude – the only thing those girls stirred in him was annoyance. He isn't interested in women and even if he was, I know he loves me and that he is always honest with me."

"Right," Ciel laughed awkwardly and combed his fingers through his hair. "I guess you're right," he murmured while he dropped his gaze to the dry soil underneath his Vans.

Alois squinted his eyes and leaned forward so that he could look Ciel in the eye. "Does this happen to have something to do with Sebastian and your feelings for him?"

Ciel's eye widened and his body jerked before he stared surprised in the icy orbs of Alois. The blonde just arched an eyebrow, silently demanding a honest answer.

"My what?" Ciel spat, acting ignorant. "I do not have feelings for Sebastian," he lied through his teeth and shook his head vigorously.

Alois breathed a laugh, straightened his back and put his arms behind his head. "You're such a bad liar – good honest people always are. But, as long as you still believe it."

"I'm not lying," Ciel snarled, turning to the blonde who had closed his eyes and heaved his head towards the warm sunbeams. "Oi, Alois! I-am-not-lying," he repeated through gnashed teeth.

Alois cracked an eye open and stared intensely at him for a moment. "When are you going to start being honest with yourself, Ciel? When are you going to drop that fucking selfless act and stand up for yourself. This self-pity is getting old, you know."

"Excuse me?" Ciel grabbed Alois's collar and shoved his face into the blonde's. "Care to repeat that?"

"I usually try to avoid repeating myself, makes you seem like a jammed record and we already have enough of those in the band, don't you think?" Alois punned.

"You bastard," Ciel growled, harshly shoving Alois against the back of the couch and propping up on his knees. "Take that back," the navy haired male snarled in the blonde's face.

"Sure," Alois shrugged. "I will take it back once you stand up for yourself. Once you stop playing this impossible charade. You like Sebastian, do I even dare say that you love him. So what, love is a beautiful thing. Just tell him and stop dancing around the issue, the fucking tension between you two is tangible."

Ciel's lips moved but didn't produce any sound as he stared down on Alois. His grip on the collar weakened until his hand dropped in the blonde's lap. He inhaled deep, sat back and threw his head in his neck.

"Sebastian doesn't want anything serious," he murmured, staring at the orange and red foliage overhead. "I already told him how I felt a couple of days ago, but he doesn't remember."

Alois narrowed his eyes. "Was he drunk?"

"Yes."

"Splendid," Alois sighed, rubbing his face with his right hand. "Look, Ciel," he turned in his seat, propped his cheek up against his knuckles and gazed down on the navy haired male. "Sebastian doesn't love easily, if he even loves at all. His parents disinherited and kicked him out of their house when he was fourteen years old and he has been on his own ever since. He's suspicious and cautious off people. He'd rather wait and see how a situation will play out."

"So?" Ciel asked, mashing his brows together. "How does that help my situation. It only means that I might push him into heading into a direction he doesn't want to take."

Alois sat up until his face hovered over Ciel's. "Sometimes someone needs that push, and Sebastian definitely needs it. Trust me, he likes you – a lot. He's just afraid of rejection and to hide that weakness, he tends to shut off his emotions and act on the automatic pilot when someone comes too close."

"So… you think I should tell him?" Ciel asked hesitant.

"I don't think – I know. But," Alois snapped up a finger. "Perhaps you might want to wait out this one. If my gut instinct isn't mistaken, he's on the verge of having his own breakthrough and if you play your cards right, he'll be down on one knee and reciting love poems to you before you know it."

Ciel chuckled at the saucy wink Alois added and his face broke into a smile after.

"You know, Alois, you are actually more observant than I give you credit for."

"Yeah," Alois laced his fingers together and stretched his arms. "Still waters run deep or something similar educated," he muttered before standing.

"I wouldn't exactly say still waters," Ciel joked and laughed when he easily avoided the playful smack against the head from the blonde.

"We'd best get ready to go to the Pavilion," Alois tilted his head and gazed at the sun. "It's almost noon and I am getting hungry," he said, rubbing his belly.

"Get the shit out of here," Ciel spoke, taking the hand Alois held out to him to hoist him to his feet. "You can actually determine the time by the position of the sun? How pirate like of you."

"Not really no. I can however tell the time," he snapped his finger up to a bell tower in the distance. The two laughed while taking the cobblestone path back to the entrance of storyland and left the amusement park and the deep conversation behind at the exit. After Ciel made Alois swear not to talk to Sebastian about this, they asked a bypasser for directions to the beignet stand near the Pavilion. As deep and intriguing Alois had been back on the bench, he once again had sunk back into his hyperactive and childish role as he grabbed Ciel's hand and skipped ahead, dragging the somewhat less reluctant navy haired male along.

* * *

Claude arched an eyebrow at the two younger males as they walked up to his booth, laughing and talking exuberantly.

"What are you two smirking about?" He asked as the blonde slid into the seat next to him and cuddled up to his side. Ciel took the seat opposite of him and exchanged a glance with Alois. After they both chuckled a little, they said nothing in choir. Claude raised an eyebrow, but choose to ignore it after that.

"Where's Sebastian?"

"He stayed behind to talk a little more with Jack, and he was going to get us beignets after that."

"Oh." Ciel's good mood dropped instantly. He winched when Alois kicked him underneath the table and gestured for him to smile. Ciel scowled, crossed his arms and slumped back in his seat. Alois sighed annoyed and threw his bunny at him, giggling when it knocked Ciel against the side of his head.

"Keep that nasty thing to yourself," Ciel snarled and aimed. Alois easily ducked and the stuffed animal hit Sebastian square in the face. The navy haired male crouched a little in his seat while the blonde sprawled himself over the table and laughed amused. Sebastian blinked a little surprised at the bunny at his feet. After, he shoved his shoe underneath it, tossed it in the air and kicked it forward. Alois yelped involuntarily when it hit him in the back of the head.

"Claude!" He whined, sitting up and peering at Sebastian over the back of the bench. "Sebastian hurt me," he groaned, rubbing his blonde locks with a pout.

Claude shrugged, nonchalance in the entire gesture. "You had it long coming," he replied, grabbing the blonde's head and pressing a kiss on the locks. "There, all better."

"No," Alois whimpered, suspiciously lurking at the beignets Sebastian dropped in front of nose. "You need to defend my honor."

"What honor might that be?" Claude took the plate of beignets Sebastian handed him and angled his head. Alois stared daggers at him, his lips pouted and his cheeks puffed, indubitably stuffed with beignets . Claude chuckled, grabbed the cheeks and softly pinched them.

"You look silly," he murmured, wiping some powdered sugar off the lips before placing a peck on them. Alois swallowed and grinned bright at the older male, forgetting all about Sebastian's attack as he nuzzled Claude's neck with his nose.

Ciel watched the two together. He wanted to be disgusted, but they were too sweet together to ridicule. He jolted when someone shoved into the booth, his strong thigh pressing against his.

"Here," Sebastian placed two plates in front of him. Ciel studied the pile of sweets before he his head to the older male next to him. Sebastian smiled, a caring and soft smile which he secretly reserved especially for navy haired male.

"What's this?"

The bright smile dropped, and a little more hesitant, Sebastian cleared his throat.

"Back in Memphis," he began as he started to comb his fingers through his hair. "You said something about a beignet pyramid…" Again, he nervously dragged his digits through his hair. "So, I asked for that. I didn't really know what topping you wanted so I got it all and since it is quite a lot, I thought we could share," he held up a fork.

Ciel blinked at the white plastic cutlery and the insecure smile and look in Sebastian's eyes beyond it. Before rationalizing his actions, he pushed the fork down, leaned in and brushed his lips over Sebastian's.

"Thank you," he mouthed against the mouth before kissing him.

Before Alois could squeal and chant in excitement and draw everybody's attention to the tiny scene, Claude slapped a hand over his mouth and kept it there until Ciel pulled back, leaving Sebastian extremely surprised with pouted lips and a dumbfounded expression on his handsome face. It soon turned into an accomplished grin and he took the bite of in chocolate dipped beignet Ciel offered him.

"Aren't they adorable together," Alois cooed, batting his lashes and sighing delighted. Claude rolled his eyes, told him to shut up and shoved an entire beignet into his mouth.

After finishing their beignets, Claude went to fetch them all a beer before they moved to the festival area. On the main stage, Civil Twilight was playing Letters from the sky. Alois and Ciel moved along on the relaxing rock tunes, not knowing any of the lyrics but screaming along with the fan girl crowd anyway and continued to do so with every band that came along until twilight and Alois insisted to see the fire eaters, leaving Ciel and Sebastian on their own.

* * *

"So," Ciel began and scratched the back of his neck. "What do you want to do?"

Sebastian smiled mysterious and little lights danced in his dark eyes. Without saying a word, he took Ciel's hand and worked his way through the crowd.

"Where are we going? Sebastian!"

He threw a quick look over his shoulder. "You'll see," was all he said before turning his head around again and shoving some more people out of his way.

At long last, they nearly tumbled out of the crowd. Ciel fell to his knees and gasped for breath. Sebastian gave him a minute to recollect himself, hoisted him easily to his feet and told him to follow him. Obediently, the younger male complied, knowing that he would follow the handsome male anywhere.

They walked down a narrow lane, avoiding drunks and couples that were fooling around in the grass. Secretly, Ciel hoped Sebastian would throw him down on the moist soil as well, but nothing was less true when they turned a corner and walked into a by neon light illuminated district.

"Up there," Sebastian whispered, nodding ahead. Ciel followed his gaze and a wide grin curled his lips when he saw the stand Sebastian meant.

"Are you fucking serious?" He joked, poking Sebastian's side.

"Never been more dead serious about anything in my life. C'mon," he grabbed Ciel's hand and together, they jogged to the carnival stand.

"Evening Joker," Sebastian greeted the ginger haired vender. The amethyst eyes recognized the raven haired male and he laughed heartily.

"My, my. Yo, Beast, it's your boyfriend," he called over his shoulder. The black haired woman Ciel had mistaken for Sebastian's girlfriend appeared from behind a curtain and cheered happily.

"Baby," she cried, leaning over the counter and pressing her impressive cleavage against Sebastian's chest in a tight hug. "It is good to see you again," she told him with a sincere smile before turning to Ciel. He got the same treatment and a kiss on each cheek.

"So," Joker wrapped an arm around his wife's waist. "What brings you to the carnival?"

"Where up ahead, at the voodoo experience," Sebastian explained. "But, I promised Ciel I would win him the ugliest and foulest looking thing at this carnival," he winked at the younger male and made him blush. "So, naturally, I came to you."

"Well, I hope you'll settle with seconds," Beast began before she jammed her thumb in Joker's chest. "The ugliest of them all is taken already," she joked and squealed when the ginger haired male poked her side.

"The kids not here today?" Sebastian asked, reaching out his neck to try and get a peek behind the curtain. Beast shook her head.

"Peter and Wendy stayed with Jumbo, but Doll should be around. I bet she is chasing some poor boy right now. They grow up so fast, you know."

"Sebastian!"

Even before he had fully turned, he was knocked over by a brunette blob that hurled itself at him. Sprawled over the counter, Sebastian groaned and opened his eyes. A sparkling blue eye blinked at him and a wide smile curled the girl's lips. Sebastian chuckled heartily and pressed his hands under her jaw.

"Is that really you, Doll? Don't you grow more lovely every time I see you. Out, chasing after boys I hear. Are you trying to make me jealous?"

Doll giggled and rubbed her face against Sebastian's dress shirt. "I missed you. Why don't you come and visit us anymore like you used to?"

"Oh," Sebastian sighed, propping up on his elbows. "I do try, baby doll. But I am really busy these days."

"Mhmm, I heard," Doll climbed off him and straightened her white and green tunic. "You've got a new band, right?" She asked on, shoving her hands in the back pockets of her jeans shorts and bending forward.

"I do," Sebastian answered, climbing off the counter and tugging his vest straight. "As a matter of fact, this is one of my band members, Ciel Phantomhive."

The girl turned to him and offered Ciel a wide smile. "Oh right, your new boyfriend," she stated, giving the by now heavily blushing Ciel a quick look up and down. "He's hot," she finally said, nudging a flustered Sebastian with her elbow. Joker and Beast kept coughing to try and mask their laughter at their daughter's forwardness.

Doll took a step forward and stood on her tiptoes to shove her face in Ciel's. "Are you treating my favorite uncle like he should be treated, huh? Do you think you're good enough for him? Are you pleasing him like he should be pleased."

"Doll, please," Sebastian moaned, slapping a hand at his forehead while Joker and Beast stopped being subtle and doubled over with laughter. Ciel twitched, his eye briefly darting to Sebastian before he looked at the scrunched up face again.

"Those… ahem… those are all very good questions," he stammered, his eye shooting to Sebastian again. The raven haired male looked as helpless as he did.

"Is the noodle big enough for Sebastian?" Doll continued, parroting everything her mother had said about Ciel to her husband after the first time she met the navy haired male. Ciel's jaw dropped and was positive that he had put up with her absurd questions long enough and should start feeling offended.

"Excuse me," he began, tilting his head and straightening his back. "I don't think it is appropriate to ask about such private matters," his voice authoritative. "And secondly," he bend down and placed a hand against his cheek while he whispered. "There's nothing wrong with the size of the noodle, it's just Sebastian, being a virgin prude."

"Ciel!" Sebastian bellowed, his eyes wide in disbelief. Joker slammed his hand down on the counter, laughing like a maniac while Beast leaned heavy into his side, an arm wrapped around her belly while she gasped for breath between laughs.

Doll stood back, her hands perched on her hips and a smug grin curling her lips.

"I like him, Sebastian – this is a real keeper," she declared loudly while whirling to the groaning raven haired male. "I can see you two canoodling all the…"

"THAT's enough," Sebastian had leaped forward and had slapped a hand over her mouth. "That really is more than enough out of you," he laughed awkwardly, pushed Doll out of his way and grabbed Ciel's bicep. "That wasn't funny."

Ciel arched an eyebrow. "The truth isn't meant to be funny. It's supposed to be the truth."

"Yes, I agree. But you don't have to share said truth with them," Sebastian snarled through gritted teeth while nodding to the carnival stand. Ciel shrugged, turned to the counter and slammed down two dollars. After that, he handed Sebastian three old fashioned baseballs.

"They probably knew already anyway. Now, come on, I want that bitter bear with the top hat. Top shelf, on the right," Ciel nodded to the stand. Sebastian grinned, spun the ball around in his hand and aimed for the bottles.

"The bear it is," he murmured and threw the first ball.

* * *

After three tries, he knocked all the bottles over and triumphantly handed Ciel his bitter bear. His plan to leave as soon as he got the price was interrupted when Doll made him swear he would only canoodle with Ciel. Before she could continue her outrageous suggestions, Sebastian hijacked Ciel away and pulled him to the other end of amusement park. Before he could formally protest, Sebastian yanked him into the by fairy light lit carousel.

"Sebastian, do we really…"

Sebastian placed a finger against the whining mouth and told him to just go along with it. With ease, he jumped onto the rotating platform, grabbed one of the poles and reached out his hand to Ciel. The navy haired male rolled his eyes, jogged over and reached out. Sebastian effortlessly hoisted him onto the carousel and bowed.

"Your horse, my Lord."

"Idiot," Ciel snorted, but climbed the slowly rising and falling wooden attribute anyway. Sebastian leaned against a pole and gradually studied the navy haired male from toe to top. Their eyes locked and an endearing smile curled the older male's lips.

Everything around them gradually disappeared to the background until it vanished outside the momentum their locked gaze created. Ciel saw his smile, and it was mysterious and seductive. Caring and loving. A lock of his raven hair shifted and fell in his crimson eyes. The fairy lights accented his soft and fair complexion. Ciel was once again overwhelmed by how handsome Sebastian was and not only did it astonish him, it intimidated Ciel and made him realize that he would be lucky if Sebastian would ever even consider being his.

"Ciel?"

He snapped out of his trance when he heard the deep intonation of the voice. He focused his vision again and offered Sebastian a nonchalant smile.

"Yes?"

"You know I like you, don't you?"

Ciel stared at him for a moment, lips ajar and eye wide-set. Sebastian smiled shyly, pushed a lock of hair behind his ear and leaned forward to press a peck on the parted lips.

"Let's go," he whispered and jumped off the carousel. Ciel nearly tumbled off the horse, clumsily stepped off the rotating platform and followed Sebastian out of the tiny building. They walked for what seemed like hours until they got to a deserted section until Sebastian finally climbed a stone bridge that crossed a part of an old Bayou. He just dropped down on the middle of it and dangled his feet over the edge. Ciel looked around the deserted area with slight suspicion.

"Weren't we supposed to meet Alois and Claude for the fireworks?"

"Meh," Sebastian shrugged, placing the palms of his hands behind him and gazing up. "We were, but I'd rather watch it here, with you," he added with a calm smile.

Ciel had never been more grateful for the night to hide the blush on his cheeks and he sat down next to the raven haired male. In silence, they watched the fireflies that leisurely zoomed over the water and lit a water lily every now and then.

Glancing sideways, Ciel enjoyed looking at Sebastian's chiseled profile. After a soft explosion, he could see the reflection of blue and purple fireworks on the water in the corner of his eye. When Sebastian turned his head to look at him, red sparkles erupted in the sky and intensified the crimson of his eyes.

Ciel pinched his bottom lip between his teeth when Sebastian leaned in, lips parted and ready to kiss his.

"Isn't this a bit cliché," Ciel murmured against the parted mouth. Sebastian's lips curled into a sly smirk while he nodded.

"I suppose so. Do you object against the trivial?"

"With you? Never!"

"Good," Sebastian breathed and pressed his bottom lip between Ciel's lips in a kiss that was anything but rushed.

* * *

Claude sat on the hood of the Cadillac and gazed at the exit of the park. Alois leaned heavily on him, muttering incoherent things about the fire eaters, Ciel and Sebastian. Claude checked his phone again to see if he missed a call from Sebastian. At long last, he saw his friend come out of the gates, a sleeping Ciel cradled against his chest. He jerked his head, and Sebastian reached into his pocket and tossed the keys after.

Claude easily swept Alois off his feet, opened the car and placed the sleeping blonde in the back. After several moments, Sebastian placed Ciel next to him and pushed the chair back in place.

"Had a good night?" Claude asked, twirling the keys around his forefinger.

"The best," Sebastian grinned.

Claude looked at him, studying him intently for a couple of moments while his mind briefly wondered to the time they had spend together. With all the selfishness he had experienced while he had been with Sebastian, it was annoying to see him act this caring.

"You drive," Claude stated, pushing the keys into Sebastian's hand and slipping down into the passengers' seat. Sebastian twirled the keys around his middle finger while he rounded the car.

"That's fine," he began while slipping into his seat. "But while I'm driving, we'll be listening to Bruce Springsteen."

Claude growled annoyed and as Sebastian turned the engine on and pulled up, they started their discussion about a good audio systems all over again while Alois and Ciel we're asleep, blissfully ignorant of the pointless arguing in the front seat.

* * *

I know, yes - I know. Civil Twilight was the line-up from last year, but after I cruised through this years schedule and found nothing useful except Jack White, I decided to go with some of the voodoo experience from last year.

So, to those who reviewed, consider this chapter dedicated in your honor. I am out people, wondering where I went wrong. (I suspect it was the bashing of Twilight. Yes, I know Kristen/Kirsten Stewart cheated on Robert Pattison, but - as gruesome as that is, I still have an aversion against those books. Sue me!)

Review - don't review, I am gone for some days, overthinking these past 2 chapters which I thought were the highlight of my writing career but which crashed and burned sooner than a kamikaze pilot.

If you do happen to review, and haven't reviewed the previous chapter - please do! Make my misery a little better.


	20. Act 67

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

Dear J.M. Tatum.

Today, I received sketches from a lovely little lady, regarding the characters I portray in this little story. I loved it; I puffed out my chest, sucked air in my lungs and fangirled for the first time in my life. I am terribly sorry, I know I promised you would be the only one I would dot over like an Okuta, but this was too sweet and I cannot get over myself. Please, except my apologies and a jar of peanut butter. If you like it, I reckon we have enough in common to sit down and whisper sweet words of surrender and affection in the other's ear.

With all my love,

Meh, just pulling your leg. So, my dear readers - yes, the day has come. I got fanart. WOOHOO! I feel like Mary Poppins, combined with Bert on speed! Honestly, I am over the moon. I do not breach contracts, so in order to keep my end of the bargain, uploading once you send me the sketches you made, here is chapter 20(?) I've been writing as a motherfucker to get this done for you.

Everyone, your reviews grace and inspire me - do indulge me with them.

Enjoy!

O.

* * *

The rhythmic scratching of a pen penetrated Ciel's dreamless sleep. With a little effort, he opened his eye and squinted at the bright flickering lights to his left. Blinking at the ceiling a couple of times, he realized he had not a clue where he was. His throat was dry from the singing he and Alois had been doing at the festival and when he opened his mouth to speak, his voice was husk.

"Sebastian?"

"Yes?"

Ciel propped up on his elbows and instantly felt his heart skip a beat. Sebastian sat on a corner of the bed. With his dress shirt and vest nearly unbuttoned, his tie hanging undone around his neck and his bangs pushed out of eyes with Ciel's diadem, Sebastian looked ready to be ravished. He cocked his head, offered the younger male a lopsided smirk, took the cigarette that seemed to be his trademark from his lips and crossed his legs.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" He put the pen and paper he was holding down beside him and shifted on the bed so he fully faced Ciel. "How did you sleep?"

Ciel clenched the sheets tight and pinched his bottom lip between his teeth. Sebastian arched a puzzled eyebrow at him.

"Something wrong?" He raised the smoke that was jammed between his fingertips to his mouth and sucked on the butt.

Swallowing, Ciel vigorously shook his head and tried to avoided the seductively lidded eyes. Clearing his throat, his blue eye gazed around the room. It looked too modal to be Sebastian's bedroom, a restricted and private sanctuary he had only dreamed of entering. The faint smell of bleach and cooked sheets reminded him of a hotel.

"Where are we anyway?"

"Brentwood inn," Sebastian informed him, fanning out his fingers while he gestured around the room. After, he propped his cheek up against his knuckles and stared at the younger male. "Claude thought we deserved some rest as well," he punned with a wink.

Ciel crossed his arms, stuck out his tongue and lifted his nose in the air after. Sebastian chortled, called him an arrogant diva and turned back to his papers.

"I am not a diva!" Ciel snarled, closing his eye and turning his nose up a little higher. When he didn't get a response, he cracked his eyelid open and rolled his orb to the older male. Sebastian was once again caught up in something he was writing. Judging by the mashed eyebrows and the subtle gnawing on the pen, he was extremely concentrated. With his distant posture, the older male unknowingly demoralized Ciel's tiny tantrum.

The navy haired male shifted under the sheets, yawned and scratched his chest. A group of drunk strangers staggered by, their figures casting shadows through the window by the door and their laughter echoing against the wall and disappearing in the dark night. Bored and graving the older male's touch, Ciel crawled forward on hands and knees and nudged Sebastian's shoulder with his head, begging for attention in a way he knew the older male could not ignore. He heard Sebastian's deep chuckle and assumed his mission was accomplished.

"Cut it out, silly," Sebastian murmured, putting the pen down on the paper and scribbling down some lines.

Ciel pouted for a moment before he stubbornly continued his plea. "But I need attention, Sebastian – purr, purr," he coaxed. He felt Sebastian's torso jolt at the cat-like sounds and reached up to nibble at the man's earlobe. "I need to be fondled," he added and trailed his tongue down the tensed tendons of Sebastian's neck.

The older male cocked his head to the side and peered down on the purring Ciel. A lusty smile curled his lips as he placed his hand next to Ciel's torso and bend down.

"Is that so, little neko-chan," he murmured and made the younger male shiver when he reached out and pushed a lock of his navy hair out of his way. "I think this little kitten needs to be tamed, and there is only but one way to do that."

If Ciel had had a tail, it would indubitably be wagging by now and he purred a little more at the honey-sweet voice that whispered seductively in his ear.

"Aren't you going to ask me how I am going to do that?" Sebastian continued husk.

Ciel swallowed, and secretly hoped Sebastian would start with something dick-related. "H-How are you going to do that?"

He felt Sebastian's lips curl into a smirk against his ear.

"I will start with reward," he murmured and lured a guttural groan from Ciel when he placed the tips of his fingers on Ciel's naked back and slowly dragged them down while suckling on a sensitive piece of skin under the younger male's jaw.

"And then," Sebastian breathed. "Punish," he bit Ciel's earlobe and smacked him on the ass. Ciel yelped involuntarily at the sudden harshness but mewled once again when Sebastian gave his reward by softly stroking Ciel's nipple with his thumb and suckling on the skin of his throat.

Sebastian grazed his nose up the trembling throat, his tongue trailing after until he could push it between Ciel's lips in an aggressive kiss. He placed the palm of his cool hand against Ciel's shoulder and easily pushed him down, pinning him between the bed and his body.

"And now," Sebastian breathed against the gasping lips. "Punish… close your eyes," he rolled off the younger male, got up and walked to the bathroom.

Ciel writhed on the bed, anxiously awaiting what Sebastian was planning to do with him. He felt his lips curl into a wide smirk when thoughts of all the dirty things his lover might come up with popped into his mind. He heard the water running in the bathroom and expected that it would only be a matter of seconds before Sebastian came back to snatch him off the bed, toss him over his shoulder and carry him to the tub for a foamy and bubbly screw. The seconds turned into a minute, which then gradually floated into more minutes.

"Sebastian?"

"Yes?" His voice answered from the right side of the room.

"How long before I get my punishment."

"This is your punishment," he answered weary.

Ciel cracked his eye open and instead of meeting the lusty crimson eyes, he was staring up at the dull ceiling again. He mashed his brows together and rolled onto his side. Sebastian leaned against the window next to the door, using the light from the lantern to reread what he had written.

"What are you doing all the way over there?" Ciel exclaimed.

"Trying to focus without you interfering again."

"What the shit, Sebastian! Are you fucking with me?"

"Is there an actual question in there because I can be _so_ obvious about that."

Ciel crossed his arms and gnashed his teeth at Sebastian's blasé attitude.

"You fucking impossible jerk," he snarled. "You are no fun at all and you're leaving me with an impossible boner. Motherfucker."

Sebastian put his cigarette out in the ashtray and gazed up at Ciel over the pages. The sophisticated and authoritative posture and the intensity of his crimson eyes in the dimly lit room made Ciel shiver with anticipation, but he was damned to let Sebastian know. The older male grinned smugly before his gaze dropped to the paper again.

"You're a very resilient boy, I'm sure you can handle that boner on your own. Furthermore, life isn't all about fun, especially at a time like this."

"At a time like what?" Ciel quipped annoyed. Sebastian stopped writing, placed the papers on the table with a sigh and pulled the diadem from his hair, releasing his bangs that instantly fell into his eyes and cast shadows on his handsome face.

"Don't play dumb, Ciel. The Opry is only three days away and we need to record all four songs before that. If we slack off now, everything we worked so hard for will be wasted effort. It is important we focus on that last song and I think I might actually have something good here," he snapped a finger at the pages.

Ciel snorted, pushed the blankets off and stood. "It is one fucking day Sebastian, after nearly three days of nonstop writing. The world won't crumble down if you allow yourself some fun every once in awhile." Proud of his wise words, Ciel picked the pile of papers up and skimmed through the writing.

"I see you've finally met the serious side of Alois," Sebastian remarked dryly. Ciel's body jerked and he revolved around on his heels, waving the papers in Sebastian's face.

"Don't you think I could come up with something as trivial and natural as that," he huffed.

"Naturally," Sebastian answered calmly. "I do not underestimated your powers of stating the obvious but what you just said, it was like I heard Alois talking. As if you parroted him."

"Tsk," Ciel crossed his arms and lowered his gaze to the fresh bouquet of pale pink dahlias on the table. "At least Alois lives his life to the fullest," he punned irritated.

Sebastian grunted annoyed and rubbed his eyes. "That he does, but at times like these, even he realizes the importance of focus. Why do you think he took a break from smoking joints without Claude telling him to do so? He knows he needs to be focused and that his attention should be with the recordings, the releasing of the album and the upcoming concerts." He mashed his brows together at the reluctant shrug the younger male gave him. Sighing, he told Ciel that he had hoped he too would see the pressing need to stay focused.

"For fuck's sake Sebastian," Ciel exclaimed, wildly spreading his arms. "It was one fucking day – if we were going to fuck up, that one single day wouldn't have mattered anyway."

"I'm sorry to see you feel that way," Sebastian answered and cusped his chin while studying the navy haired male that shook with anger. "I thought this band and winning the competition was your number one priority as well."

Ciel stopped shaking and stared blankly at him for a couple of moments. After, he clenched his fists next to his body and bit his tongue not to shout at Sebastian that _he _was Ciel's number one priority. His eye slowly turned to the window and the lit swimming pool downstairs in the courtyard. A small smile curled his lips and his expression softened when he looked Sebastian in the eye again.

"Never mind. You do what you have to do. I'll be out to have my bit of fun." And with that, Ciel passed Sebastian, opened the door and walked out.

"Where are you going? Ciel? Ciel!" Sebastian turned on his heels, leaped forward and grabbed the frame while popping his head out. Ciel walked down the gallery and did not look back, not even when Sebastian told him to hold on while he went to grab the keycard.

* * *

"Ciel, hold the fuck up," Sebastian jogged down the corridor as well and descended down the stone steps. He saw Ciel cross the well kept lawn and step onto the enormous beige tiles that surrounded the pool. Steam rose from the water and from a distance, Sebastian watched Ciel push his jeans down and carelessly kick them aside. His skin was so pale, it almost illuminated the intense blackness around him. The younger male took a few steps back to run up and launch himself into the pool.

Sebastian chuckled to himself and watched Ciel swim up and down the pool for a few moments before he walked over, took his socks off and rolled up the trouser legs of his dress pants. Ciel swam his way while Sebastian sat down and dangled his feet in the warm water. The crimson eyes were fixed on the trembling muscles and dripping locks while Ciel hoisted himself out of the water and sat down next to him.

"You should join me, the water is great," Ciel spoke, gazing at a point at the horizon. Sebastian wrinkled his nose, shook his head and laced his fingers together.

"No thank you, but I am not one for swimming in public pools. It's like a soup of bodily fluids and bacteria. Besides, I just took a shower – I am good like this."

Ciel snorted and rolled his eye. "Thanks for that, Mister killjoy. Just, live a little."

Turning his head, Sebastian smiled at the soaked patch that stuck to the eye socket. He reached up and gently peeled it off the skin and put it back in place.

"You didn't winch," he told Ciel in an accomplished tone of voice. The navy haired male shrugged nonchalant and placed the palms of his hands behind his back.

Sebastian watched him tip his head back and noticed how calm he looked. The tension had completely disappeared from his face and a relaxed smile curled his lips as he stared at the starry sky.

"It's really bright out here," Ciel murmured, uncovering his random thoughts to Sebastian in a breath that was followed by a deep sigh. "It's amazing."

"You seem different."

Ciel angled his head and Sebastian's body jerked when he saw the serene form. His visible eye sparkled, as if the stars reflected in the intense blue of his iris, but Sebastian knew this was impossible and an unspeakably plain thought. The younger male smiled, one that forced his entire face to join.

"Different how?"

"More relaxed, if I am not mistaken. Your smile is more… how do I describe it," Sebastian bend forward and dragged the tip of his tongue over the parted lips. "It's just delicious, perhaps even a bit wicked. It's lovely."

"Lovely? Ugh – did you sneak miniature liquor bottles from the mini bar?"

Sebastian chuckled and tapped Ciel's nose with his index finger. "I'm British, it's just the way we express ourselves. Get used to it."

Ciel arched an eyebrow and tipped his head back with a smirk.

"Oh really?"

Caught off guard, Sebastian yelped involuntarily when Ciel shoved him into the pool with ease. The younger male grinned triumphant as he watched the older male submerge and surface after, coughing loudly from the gulp of water he accidentally swallowed.

"You fucking asshole!" Sebastian spat.

"And that is how us Americans express ourselves," he punned, basking in his own cleverness while raising his hand and signaling the peace signal to the ranting Brit. "Welcome to the States, governor," he punned, mimicking Sebastian's British accent to the tee.

"I will get you for this, you miserable ingrate."

"Sure you will," Ciel stood. "Incoming!" He jumped, grabbed his knee and cannonball dove into the pool, landing on top of Sebastian and taking the roaring man down underwater with him.

Surfacing, Sebastian tossed his bangs and stared daggers at the snickering Ciel.

"This is not funny," he muttered. "You just wasted a perfectly good suit with your childish shenanigans."

Ciel faked a pout, swam his way and wrapped his body around Sebastian's to keep himself afloat.

"C'mon baby, I'm sorry I ruined your makeup."

"Shut up."

"No, kiss me."

"Go take a hike."

"But I am already swimming."

"No, you're not. You're using me as a life buoy."

"But I've got a cramp."

"No you don't."

"Ahh – ahhh…" Ciel put his palms on Sebastian's chest, pushed himself off the older male and quickly moved his legs back and forth. "I'm drowning, Sebastian."

The older male rolled his eyes and pushed the dripping locks that were matted to his cheek behind his ear before crossing his arms. He did not care to play along with Ciel's games.

"Your feet can easily hit the bottom so stop this tedious performance and stand."

"Sebas…" Ciel submerged.

Sebastian tsked and turned his back on the younger male. "I am not planning on playing along so please cut it out," he declared to the bubbles of air that floated to the surface. It kept quiet behind him and Ciel had made no attempts to come back up. Sebastian peered over his shoulder and saw the motionless form of the younger male on the bottom of the pool.

"Ciel, cut it out – this is not funny," he slowly turned on his heel and stepped forward, his eyes suspiciously gazing at the water, cautious of Ciel's every move.

"Ciel… please. This really isn't funny anymore," Sebastian pleaded. "Ciel? Ciel!" He reached down, grabbed the younger male's hand and dragged him to the surface.

Ciel coughed loudly and clung to Sebastian's shoulders. The older male wrapped his arms around him and held him close to make sure he stayed above water.

"F-Fuck… idiot," Ciel coughed and blinked at Sebastian. "What took you so fucking long?" He shut his mouth when he saw the expression on his lover's face. He was angry, he could see it in his dark crimson eyes, but above all, worry surfeit in his entire posture. He placed a hand on the back of Ciel's head and bend down until their noses nearly touched.

"Don't pull a stunt on me like that again, Ciel," Sebastian told him harshly. "Ever! I fucking mean it, this wasn't funny. You nearly gave me a heart attack."

Ciel narrowed his eye at him for a moment before his face broke into a smile and he pulled him closer. Even if the chlorine water had soaked his clothes, the familiar scent of cigarette smoke and the musk cologne that was so significantly Sebastian still lingered in his shirt. His hair still smelled like the shampoo he had washed it with this morning and if he nuzzled his nose closer against the wet skin of his throat, Ciel could still smell the heat of the sex they had this morning.

"I love your scent," he murmured against Sebastian's skin and pressed a kiss on it after. Sebastian frowned and peered down on the navy locks.

"I hardly see how that has anything to do with that prank you just pulled."

"I used to hate the smell of cigarettes," Ciel continued, ignoring Sebastian's snide comment completely and clenching the damp fabric of Sebastian's dress shirt in his hand. "But I would miss it if you ever stopped smoking."

"Don't try to charm your way out of this," Sebastian commented, his voice as authoritative as he could muster now that Ciel was slowly extinguishing his anger with his endearing talk.

"It's so distinguished," the younger male whispered on. "So _you_, and I would terribly miss it if I didn't get a whiff of it every single day."

"What are you trying to say?"

Ciel tipped his head back and put out the last bit of anger Sebastian had desperately clung to with the same smile he had offered him before he had shoved him into the pool.

"I like you too," he said, bringing them right back to their moment on the carousel. "I guess that's what I'm trying to say."

Sebastian stared in his eye for a few moments, completely frozen while millions of thoughts thundered through his mind, but every doubt was temporarily swept from his mind when Ciel gazed up at him from below, silently asking for his approval and affection. Sebastian smiled, pressed a hand under the younger male's jaw and tipped his head back.

"That's all I need to hear," he whispered while brushing his lips over Ciel's. "Thank you," he breathed before pecking him lovingly. Their moment was rudely interrupted when the night manager walked over, shaking his fist at the pair. Between all the cursing and hi-ha's, they could make out that his pool was not a recreation centre for queers to do their nasty business.

With the tiny, balding man tottering their way and sweat streaming down his gleaming and reddening skull, neither Sebastian or Ciel could be offended by his accusations. Sebastian walked to the edge of the pool, hoisted himself out and easily pulled Ciel out after. Gathering their clothing, they ran off, laughing like two teenagers who just got caught skinny dipping in the neighbors pool.

* * *

"Fuck… hahaha," Ciel closed the door behind him and leaned against it. "You suppose he followed us all the way up here?"

Sebastian briefly peered through the translucent curtaining and shook his head. "No, I think we are safe."

Ciel tossed his pants on the table and shoved his hands in his hair. "Seriously, did you see the look on that jerk's fat face… hahaha… did you," he failed to finish his sentence when he saw the gleam in Sebastian's dark eyes. The older male made him jolt when he slammed the palms of his hands against the door on either side of Ciel's head and bend down.

"You disobeyed me," he stated in a dead serious voice. "Are you ready for your punishment?"

Ciel opened his mouth to speak but yelped involuntarily and grunted after when Sebastian attacked his mouth from below, shoving the younger male's body up against the door by the force of his aggressive kiss. He pinned him down and jammed his knee between Ciel's legs, roughly parting them.

"Don't disobey me again," Sebastian whispered when both drew an erratic breath. Ciel slowly shook his head left and right, but the wicked gleam in his eye told Sebastian he was not ready to submit to him so easily. He grinned, grabbed Ciel's ass and lifted him in the air.

"I'll teach you what I do to disobeying kittens that need to be punished," he whispered in Ciel's ear. The younger male purred and dragged his nails over his lover's muscular back. Wrapping his legs around Sebastian's waist, Ciel anxiously awaited what the night would bring him as Sebastian walked to the bathroom and closed the door behind them with his foot.

* * *

Ok, admitted - not the longest chapter in history, but bear with me. I wrote this in like, under 2 hours.

Karii, I hope you liked it, consider it dedicated in honor of your immensely flattering tribute to my characters.

(Spelling check will follow, once I get the feeling back in my fingers later tonight)

Review, please - and check out the art of Karii. The link to my deviant must be in one of these chapters.


	21. Act 71

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

Double update weekend!

Nah - to be honest, this chapter wasn't even supposed to come out until somewhere next week but you see, I received a review (woohoo) from a guest who goes by the name **_MAD_** and this person said that he or she would draw me fan art as well. Now, you see - I am giddy and eager about receiving fan art so I would love to see what this mystery person has come up with. Problem is, they left me with a deviant account but since this website does not support other weblinks, I didn't get a profile name, just a .com.

So, dear anonymous reviewer who goes by the name of **_MAD_**, if you read this - I would sincerely love to see it if you have drawn fan art for MM, so if you would just send me a message or note on my own deviant account which goes by the name of; Paris van Barnett - minus the spaces. I would love to see your work and upload it onto my own deviant with your permission, naturally. Also, you could send the drawings to my mail account which is; sebastianwilde00. It is a g . mail account. Either way, I would LOVE to see it!

Yeah - you actually got this kind person to thank for such a swift update. This is the first of probably the last 6 or 8 chapters of MM (O. very sad) so, I will try to update less frequently to prolong this story for you meddling kids.

Naturally, thanks for all the amazing support and I will do the spelling check momentarily.

With all my love,

O.

* * *

It was near to five o'clock in the morning when a click sounded through the silent hotel bedroom. The faint glint of fire momentarily illuminated Sebastian's crimson eyes as he lit another cigarette and shut the Zippo with the same designated sound.

Outside their private world that was still filled with the thick sexual tension, beyond the door of the hotel room, it was starting to get light. Both were spend after the aggressive love-making that had exercised against the thin plastic partition wall and they were vertically sprawled over the width of the tiny double bed. With their legs tangled, both males were still catching their breaths of the excitement that had torn the shower curtain off the railing and broke the bathroom mirror into tiny pieces.

Ciel's head dangled over the edge of the bed as he read through the pages Sebastian had written, humming approvingly every now and then. The other male put a hand behind his head and closed his eyes, allowing himself a little rest for the first time in near to eighty hours.

"This is actually really good."

The familiar voice dragged him out of his doze and Sebastian breathed a small laugh as he stared up at the dull ceiling.

"Thanks for sounding so surprised," he murmured, sucking at the butt of his cigarette and watching the blue smoke leisurely curl and float up.

"Thanks for sounding like a pissy teenager," Ciel retorted. He crunched his abs and gave his arms a strong swing to move upward. Taking a lotus-position in the middle of the bed, he waved the papers in Sebastian's face.

"I am serious, this might be gold."

Sebastian arched an eyebrow and breathed a smile while he closed his eyes and rolled his head to left. "That is overstating it galore – now I don't believe you either."

Ciel snorted and rolled his eye. "Is there any pleasing you, period?"

His dark eyes glistened with lusty lights and he propped up on his elbows.

"Good thing you might be asking that right now," Sebastian spoke seductively as he bend over and let his fingers slide over Ciel's cock. The member reacted docile and started to thicken at the mild administrations. Keeping down the inevitable grunt that rose in his chest, Ciel dropped his head to his chin and glowered at the other male.

"Sebastian," he spoke stern voice, smacking the wandering hand away. "We need to focus."

The older male pouted and let his lips curl into a wide grin after. "You are no fun, Ciel Phantomhive."

"Clever, using my own words against me," Ciel snarled snide, wrinkling his nose at the raven haired male that persistently kept trying to stroke his by now semi erected dick.

"Come on baby," Sebastian whispered in a persuading tone. "Let me have a taste, I am fatigue and need something to eat."

"Grab some peanuts from the mini bar then. This is important," Ciel jammed his finger down on the pages. "The Opry is in three days, remember."

"I do," Sebastian purred, skillfully maneuvering around Ciel's flailing hand and pressing his thumb against the leaking slit. He collected some precum on the digit and brought it to his mouth. Ciel watched with concealed anticipation while Sebastian slowly licked the cum off his finger, his lidded eyes looking up in Ciel's blue one. The younger male cleared his throat and raised the papers in front of his face to hide his blush of excitement.

"These sentences, _the road might be long, but baby that is fine. I am all but losing track of time. With your bare legs stuck to the hot leather of the passengers' seat and your hand strong and docilely in mine_. It's ingenious."

Sebastian hummed absentmindedly, pushed himself up and closed his lips around the head of Ciel's rigid dick. The younger male whimpered and bit his lip hard not to moan and give in. Stubbornly, he gazed at the paper through a lidded eye and swallowed twice before continuing.

"_Let's get away from this place and leave our skeletons to the plain. Don't turn around to your front porch and let go your old pain. Toss your hair and let the wind blow away your cares as I make things right and drive towards nowhere._ When did you come up with this shit… ahh – where h-have you been hiding that country talent."

"They're just random thoughts. Nothing really coherent yet," Sebastian murmured before he swallowed Ciel's dick and made the man's body jerk with longing.

Ciel's persistent concentration faltered for a moment and he tossed his head back to let out a low growl.

Sebastian smirked satisfied at the effect he had on the now submissive younger male and as he bobbed back up, he curled his slender fingers around the shaft and started to pump him while twirling his tongue around the glans.

Ciel inhaled deep, a vibration rolling over his tongue and erupting from his lips in a soft and tortured mewl. He tangled his digits in the soft raven locks and tugged at them.

"Sebas… shit – ahh," Ciel dropped his chin to his chest, made a seductive guttural sound and pinched his bottom lip between his teeth when he saw the hot mouth slide down his shaft. He tugged harder at the locks and demanded Sebastian looked at him. A lusty grin curled his lips when the lidded crimson eyes met his.

"Is this my reward?" Ciel purred soft, winking saucy and moaning instantly when one of Sebastian's slender fingers reached down and stroke his scrotum. The older male bobbed up and let the dick go with a sloppy pop.

"No," he murmured while reaching out his neck. "Mine," he breathed against the parted lips before kissing them. Their tongues crashed together and both tilted their head to the opposite side. Sebastian sat up on his knees, carefully untangled Ciel's legs and started to push him over. The younger male yelped in the kiss when they toppled back, Sebastian's body crushing onto his.

With half over their torso's hanging over the edge of the bed, Ciel pulled back to huff and draw a breath. The papers he had been holding had been send flying through the air when Sebastian surprised attacked him and now gradually floated down and scattered on the floor around Ciel's head.

"You're heavy," he whined.

Sebastian chuckled and entangled his fingers with Ciel's. "And you're a wimp," he whispered, sucking the nagging bottom lip between his own and nibbling softly on it.

Ciel forgot about the song for a moment and bucked his hips into Sebastian's, his naked and Sebastian's clad dick rubbing against each other. The friction made both males grunt in the leisurely kiss until they each had to draw a vaporous breath.

"W-What are you going to call it?" Ciel asked, still desperate- but fruitlessly trying to change the subject back to the lyrics.

"Narrow-minded small town people are dick-o-phobic," Sebastian grinned and laughed when Ciel snorted and rolled his eye.

"Very funny," he retorted sarcastically. "No, I am serious," he untangled the fingers of his right hand from Sebastian's and reached for a random page. "I think it's really good. It could go far," he read the lines on the designated sheet and squinted his eye. "Perhaps you should name it nowhere town…"

"Whatever you think is suitable," Sebastian plucked the page from Ciel's hands and randomly threw it in some direction. "Now that our lyric crisis is over," he murmured while grazing his lips over Ciel's chin. "Give into me."

Ciel grinned, wrapped his arms around Sebastian's shoulders and lost himself in a kiss that was anything but rushed. For a moment, the songs, recording and upcoming concerts fled from his mind but he was roughly reminded when Sebastian spoke in their kiss.

"You're drumming a new rhythm on my back," he told Ciel. Their lips smacked softly when they parted and crimson eyes met a blue one.

"You've got inspiration, don't you?"

Ciel sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and nodded. Sebastian groaned, placed his palms on either side of Ciel's head and pushed himself up.

"I'm sorry," Ciel apologized as he took the hand Sebastian reached out to help him up. "It's just that… you motivate me, and that song – oh wow, I can hear it playing in my head," he told Sebastian after he sat up. "The sound is a mix between Bruce Springsteen and Otis Redding and it's raw and passionate – oh fuck, Sebastian. It sounds so fucking good," he explained with flailing arms and an excitedly shimmering eye.

Sebastian had propped his cheek up against his knuckles and had placed a fresh smoke between his lips. He lit it while watching Ciel go on about the song he just wrote and he loved the passion in the other male's voice. A lopsided smirk automatically curled his lips when Ciel threw in casual apologies between his arguments. He lowered the cigarette and huffed out some smoke.

"You want to go now and record it, don't you?" Sebastian said bluntly, rendering Ciel speechless. Fidgeting with his hands, Ciel admitted this to be true.

"Ugh – it has been so long since I fucked you and I am hot and bothered. Now that the lyrics crisis is over I can fully focus on you again…" He stopped himself from speaking the other words that popped into his mind and sucked on his smoke. "I should've known my own ambition would turn against me some day."

"No," Ciel shook his head vigorously. "It is not turning against you. It is educating me. I love your morals and principals regarding work, even if I don't always show it," he added with a chuckle when he saw Sebastian raise his eyebrow. "They make you who you are."

Sebastian huffed out tobacco and smirked. "Meh, you're just saying that because you want to go back to Memphis this instant and start recording." He chortled low when Ciel shamelessly admitted it with a wicked grin.

"Alright then," Sebastian sighed and stood. "Let's round up the horses and record this bitch."

* * *

Neither Alois or Claude was very happy to see the eager pair at their door at six in the morning, but when Ciel announced the good news, Claude practically dragged a half dressed Alois out of the room and told him he could do his beauty ritual back in Memphis. The night manager threw suspicious looks at the four. Sebastian just smiled and placed his black card on the counter, which made for a most generous smile and a hearty we hoped you enjoyed your stay and please come again soon.

Ciel was the first who took the wheel and not before long, Sebastian was sleeping peacefully beside him, using the bitter bear as a pillow. Alois was nattering to Claude that his skin needed extra attention in the morning and Claude was ignoring it as usual. The entire random atmosphere reminded Ciel of how country stars used to travel around during their tours, all huddled up in a car and sleeping in cheap motel chains alongside the road and it made him grin from ear to ear.

After a two hour drive, from which Alois had been nagging he was hungry for a good hour and a half, Ciel turned off road at Batesville and drove around for an open restaurant on a Sunday in a small town. He eventually parked in front of a Huddle House and killed the engine. He shifted in his seat and stared at the peacefully sleeping Sebastian.

"Wake him up, I'm hungry!" Alois licked his lips when he got a whiff of food smells through the open window. "I smell pancakes."

"He was up all night, writing that song," Ciel told them, gradually taking in the serene face with an insanely bright smile plastered on his lips. "Perhaps we should just let him sleep and get him something to go."

Claude was fine either way, but since the process of going inside wasn't moving along, Alois kicked the back of the passengers' seat. Sebastian's body jerked and his eyes snapped open as he jolted up.

"Spiders tap dancing the flamingo," he blurted out and sunk back in his chair, blinking dazed and sleepily at his surroundings.

In the back, Alois snorted with laughter and Ciel coughed to mask his own laugh. Sebastian turned his head left en right and tried to determine where they were.

"What the hell was that?" Ciel eventually asked when it looked like Sebastian wasn't going to explain what he had blurted out while waking. The older male turned his head to the left and shrugged nonchalant.

"Nightmare – a horrible one at that I might add. Where the hell are we?"

"Batesville," Claude answered since neither Ciel or Alois was capable of talking between their fits of laughter. "Nightmare? Unfinished sex acts?"

Ciel's body jerked and he abruptly stopped laughing when Claude referred to something only a past lover could know.

"You have no fucking idea," Sebastian answered while pulling his package of smokes from his vest and placing the last one between his lips. "What the hell are we doing in Batesville anyway?" He turned to Ciel who was staring motionless at the handbrake.

Ciel had never stopped to think that there were things about Sebastian he didn't know, maybe even things he would never know. And there was Claude, casually referring to something he indubitably had experienced while he had been Sebastian's lover. While he was wondering if Claude ever had had the privilege of seeing Sebastian's bedroom, he was roughly interrupted in his trail of thoughts by Sebastian snapping his fingers in his face.

"Jesus," Sebastian sighed, sitting back and pushing a hand in his hair. "What the hell were you thinking about?"

Ciel flared up in his seat, offered him a fake smile and groped for the handle of the door.

"It's nothing. Come on, let's have breakfast before Alois dies of hunger."

An approving cheer was heard from the backseat and the blonde started kicking Sebastian's chair, demanding he'd get out. However, the raven haired male had no intention of moving. The passion with which Ciel's eye had been sparkling back near Jackson had disappeared in a matter of seconds and he wanted to know why.

"Is something wrong, Ciel?"

The navy haired male shook his head. "Nuhuh, it is nothing. Come on, let's eat." His hand finally landed on the door handle and he tugged at it. Sebastian reached forward and grabbed his wrist before he could get out.

"Ciel, talk to me."

"It's nothing. Fuck Sebastian, just let it go and let _me _go. You're fucking twisting my arm."

"No, not until you've spoken the words you don't want to speak."

"Out-out-out-out," Alois demanded in the back, kicking Sebastian's seat in sync with his whining commands. Sebastian snarled to Claude that he should tame his bitch and focused on Ciel again. The younger male looked at him but didn't seem to actually look at him. His gaze was vague and apathetic.

"Ciel, what is wrong?" Sebastian demanded again, pulling the reluctant male closer. "Talk to me, please," he pleaded, cupping the pale cheek. The car was silent but for the tantrum Alois was throwing and Claude's irritated sighs.

"You know. If you so desperately want to talk about this, can you do it without us. I am actually quite peckish myself, I need coffee and something to stuff his mouth with," Claude jerked his head to Alois.

The blonde immediately ceased his pestering fit and leaned into the annoyed man. "You know, love," he let his fingers pitter-patter up Claude's vest. "You can always…"

"No," Claude interrupted him harshly. "I am not stuffing your mouth with my dick so shove it."

Alois grinned at his choice of words and let his fingers pitapat further up the muscular torso. "Well baby, you can always shove…"

Claude yelled at him that he would not fuck his mouth or hole with any of his limbs or foreign objects and growled at Sebastian to get the fuck out before he would tear his way out through the vinyl roof.

"Alright, don't get your dick in a twist man," Sebastian practically kicked his door open, stepped out and pushed the back of the chair forward. After, he snarled at Alois and Claude to get the fuck out, and also trying to scream at Ciel to stay the fuck inside the car. The navy haired male ignored him and was dragged into the restaurant by the blonde. Claude told the snorting Sebastian to calm down, hijacked his wallet and followed the two into the restaurant as well. Grunting annoyed, Sebastian threw his door shut and pushed his back against it.

"Miserable ingrates," he mumbled, biting on the butt of his cigarette and pushing the heel of his expensive shoe against the side of the Cadillac. He inhaled deep and tried to calm himself down before he took his spare keys, locked the car and walked to the door. He took a last drag of the smoke, professional tossed the cigarette away and stepped inside the air-conditioned restaurant.

* * *

Ciel peered over his shoulder and saw Sebastian slog over to their booth, hands in his pocket and the bitter bear jammed under his arm. The two teenage girls that had been painting their nails until the group walked in stood by their table and one was unable to keep herself from giggling and whispering to her brunette co-worker. When the fourth addition to the group of gorgeous males walked up to them, the excited redhead squealed and called his name. Sebastian looked up and flashed her a handsome smile.

"Oh, I am so sorry Mister Michaelis," she apologized, her cheeks reddening with shame. "But, I am such a big fan of Black Butler. I still listen to your records," she pulled a smartphone from her apron and held it up. "W-Would you mind?"

"Not at all," Sebastian tossed the bear on the table and took the phone from her hands. Holding it above their heads, the girl grinned from ear to ear when Sebastian draped an arm around her shoulders and took the shot.

"Here you go," he gave her the phone back with another stunning smile. "Would you also like an autograph or something?"

"Really?!" She snatched the pen and tiny blocnote from her friends hands and eagerly handed it to Sebastian. He signed it with a small personal message and gave it back to her.

"Euhm… Can I ask you one more thing – after that, I will take your order and leave you alone, I promise. I mean, it is not like you are the first celebrity that walks in here. Not that I am not impressed, because you are all really good looking and sexy and… I want to marry you so bad…"

Sebastian chuckled and dragged his digits through his hair when her friend tugged the rambling girl at her sleeve and told her to cool down. The redhead nodded nervously, laughed awkwardly and apologized again with even redder cheeks.

"I am sorry, and I know you have a girlfriend. You and she look amazing together, I saw you all at Lorraine Cook's the other night and she is really pretty."

"Thank you so much. I will tell her that, she will greatly appreciate it."

"How do you make it work?"

"Well," Sebastian pushed his hand in his hair again. "We are honest and we always tell each other everything," he punned, his eyes briefly sliding to Ciel. The navy haired male scowled and raised the menu.

"Would you mind if I took a picture with all of you?"

Just when Ciel was about to tell her that she took take a hike, the intense glare from Claude prevented him. He nodded obediently and joined the others in a group picture with the beaming redhead.

"Thank you so much – this one is so going to be my profile picture on all my online accounts," she twittered while he fingers zoomed over the screen of her phone. The older brunette with a pixie haircut rolled her eyes at her co-worker and asked if they were ready to order.

"Let me have a look," Sebastian slid into the booth and kept an appropriate amount of space between him and Ciel. His eyes scanned the menu and he asked for the French toast with strawberries and a black coffee. Ciel ordered the same with a tea and Claude settled with a ham and cheese omelet and a sweetened coffee.

"Now me," Alois snatched the menu from Claude's hand and ordered the pecan waffles, bacon strips, sausages and a cheesecake to go. "Oh, and a extra large coke please," he added with a splendid smirk and rubbed his hands eagerly when the two walked back to the counter, the redhead dragged along by the brunette.

While awaiting their meal, Alois and Claude started a relational discussion about who was going to call Alois's mother to check if she was taking good care of Boris, their golden retriever and if she had time to drop by their apartment to check on the painting work they had done. Sebastian and Ciel uneasily shifted in their seat, the latter one refusing to look him in the eye. The discussion between Alois and Claude was such a normal couples thing and it bugged Ciel that he might never have a discussion about the curtains in their master bedroom or the color of tiles they would use in their kitchen with Sebastian. He also couldn't help but wonder if Sebastian ever had said discussion with Claude but imagining the two banter over golden or silver cutlery was too comical and involuntarily made him chuckle.

"Something funny?"

Ciel finally turned his head to Sebastian and melted on the inside when the crimson eyes studied him with slight amusement. He shook his head and commenced in staring at his napkin again. He had nervously plucked it apart and pieces of it were scattered all over the table.

"I am going to buy some new smokes," Sebastian announced suddenly and stood without awaiting an answer. Claude and Alois didn't even notice his departure as the blonde jammed the buttons on his old Motorola razor and raised the phone to his ear. He obviously had lost argument and was now forced to call his mother. When Ciel could hear her high pitched voice on the other side of the table, he understood why either of them was reluctant to call her.

"I'll be… yeah," Ciel just stood and left Alois and Claude to the conversation with their relative.

* * *

In a badly lit corner of the restaurant, Sebastian hovered over the cigarette machine and pushed the change he had retrieved from his pocket in the tiny slit. Ciel walked up to him, pushed his back against the wall next to the machine and studied Sebastian's handsome face.

"Yes?"

"How does Claude know about your nightmares being related to abruptly breaking off sexual acts?"

Sebastian punched the Lucky Strike button, bend down to retrieve the new package and straightened his back after. For a moment, he arched an eyebrow at Ciel and shook his head after.

"Is that what this hostility is about?"

"That is not an answer to my question."

Sebastian cocked his head to the right and made sure the two counter girls were busying doing other things. When he deduced the coast was clear, he leaped forward, placed a hand against the wall and bend down to kiss Ciel's lips.

"Back when we just started out with Black Butler, he and I lived together. That is the origin of our sexual escapades and that is also how he knows about those shortcoming nightmares. It's no big deal, Claude and I just go way back. He's my best friend – he knows me better than anyone."

"I want to know you too," Ciel answered while his eye drooped to Sebastian's shoes. "I want to know you better than Claude."

Sebastian felt a pang in his chest when he saw the innocent and hurt look on Ciel's face.

"You're a silly and complicated kid, Ciel," he murmured and cusped the younger male's chin so he could tip his head back and kiss him once again.

"I'm not a kid," Ciel muttered after Sebastian had pulled back. The older male licked his lips and grinned wide at the pouting lips. He squeezed Ciel's cheeks with his thumb and forefinger and told him in a fatherly voice of course not.

"Cut it out," Ciel chuckled, brushing the hand away. "You're acting like an idiot."

"No, you," Sebastian jammed a finger in Ciel's chest. "You are acting like an idiot. Of course you don't know me like Claude does, but you will – I intend to turn this band into a success which means we will spend many more years together. There will be plenty of time for you to get to know me, all of me," he added in a seductive tone.

Ciel chewed on his lip and tugged at Sebastian's expensive vest. "But I want to know everything about you right now. I want to know all the inside things you, Claude and Alois share."

Sebastian groaned and dropped his chin to his chest. "Is there no pleasing you?"

"No," Ciel spoke cheerfully. "I am insatiable when it comes to you."

Sebastian nodded, dragged his digits through his hair and turned his head to the right. The waitresses were just delivering their food and he saw Alois attack his plate like a hungry wolverine. As usual, he had somehow managed to get his mother to want to speak to Claude and judging by the annoyed frown on Claude's face, she was giving him decorating tips or something equally ridiculous. Sebastian grinned a lopsided smirk and revolved his head back to Ciel.

"How about I tell you four important things nobody knows about me right now and we go and eat breakfast after that in a civil way, without the apathetic attitude."

Ciel nodded vigorously, grinning satisfied. Sebastian licked his lips again, leaned in and placed his moist lips against Ciel's ear.

"My first serious crush and now favorite actor is Michael J. Fox and I paid over five thousand dollar to have a signed pair of shoes that are identical to his sneakers in Back to the Future. Every month, I lock myself inside my home for a weekend with junkfood and have a John Hughes marathon. When I was younger I always wished Mary Poppins would float by and be my nanny and I have a thing for Johnny Depp. I don't know, but his performance as Edward Scissorhands does something with me and makes me want to be better."

Ciel stared at him for a moment or two. Sebastian once again dragged his hand through his hair, a signal that he was nervous.

"Those are really insignificant things," Ciel finally spoke, narrowing his eye at him.

"Yes – I know… but there aren't many people who…"

"I love it."

Sebastian closed his mouth and blinked at Ciel. The younger male had a wide smirk on his lips and tipped his head back.

"As a matter-of-fact, I happen to be a big Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink fan. Next time, I want in on your weekend, but only if you have cheese popcorn, white coconut M&M's and sushi."

When Sebastian didn't answer instantly, Ciel's confidence faltered and he added a soft please to his former speech. When Sebastian reached up and stroke his cheek, Ciel's body jolted by the sudden sweet touch. Sebastian leaned in and for a moment, it looked like he was going to kiss him again. At the last minute, he tipped his head and whispered in Ciel's ear.

"White coconut M&M's, that is only natural. Are there any other?"

Ciel stared stunned as Sebastian stood back and smirked at him. In the background, they heard Alois say something about eating their food if they wouldn't come back soon.

"Come on," Sebastian jerked his head to the right. "Let's go, our drinks are getting cold."

Ciel shook his head to recollect his thoughts and smiled. "Yes," he smiled. "Let's go."

* * *

Rachel and Vincent looked up from their breakfast when the foursome entered the kitchen. Ciel said something about recording and studio and off they went again. Vincent left his food for what it was and followed them outside.

Once they were at the studio, Sebastian went over the lyrics and Ciel gave them a slight impression of the rhythm he had thought up this morning. After, they all took their place in the recording studio and after taking two hours to sync out the rhythm, Sebastian walked to the microphone and placed it against his lips.

Vincent pressed the necessary buttons and when the red light gave them a good to go, Ciel watched Sebastian put all his emotion into singing the first lines of the song that might actually become their biggest hit.

"_He little girl, let me lay it down, because you might be confused. I know you have your troubles and you know I've got mine. This town is a death trap and it's tearing us apart. So take those bold steps to my car and come with me to make a new start._"

* * *

I bet it sucked and I am sorry for that. I have been writing this non-stop, just so that I could upload it and tell the anonymous reviewer what I said in the A/N.

Yes, Sebastian loving Johnny Depp - at first it was Colin Firth (I love the man dearly) but then "The Ice Dance" cruised by in my I-Tunes list and that is probably my all time favorite movie soundtrack, shy from Jungle Boy (or Kenia Boy) my first anime related movie ever. So, it had to be Johnny Depp. If you want to read the entire lyrics for **Nowhere town**, the newest Funtom Company hit, check out my deviant.

Ugh - I am drinking some putrid sweet wine and am listening to Disney songs; 2 things that remind me of my ex, putrid and Disney. I miss him, so much.

And the the two waiteresses - did you see that Julie, that is us - you being the excited redhead and me the condenscending brunette. (Although, I have anything but a pixie cut, but meh - it worked) This is how J.M. Tatum will see us next year, right?

Review, my sweet hummingbirds... review, make me smile and lift my heart.


	22. Act 73

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

Le gasp, is it actually 5 days ago since I last updated. That is long, even for me...

To be honest, I struggled with this chapter. It was supposed to have nice smut in it, but then I had so much character development that rancid sex against the stage of the Grand Ole Opry just seemed wrong. (Yes, I know I said it and I know you are all think this; when is smut ever wrong?)

So, see this once again as a bonus chapter - or rather, see the next chapter as a bonus. And since I am autistic when it comes to numbers (I want even numbers, even when writing. If I don't have an even amount of words, I'll continue writing until I do... sick? Slightly) you'll be getting 6 more chapters after this.

So, just sit back and relax. MM and TCM may be over soon but I will gradually slide into Wild(e) West and another untitled Sebastian/Ciel project. I hope you'll all stick around for it. For now, just enjoy some motivation.

O.

* * *

Carefully, Ciel tread onto the famous stage and gazed around the spacious hall that had seen hundreds of country legends. He had seen these walls and those chairs so many times on the television but he never could've fathomed what it would be like to stand in front of the barn house décor. It was quiet, almost like the lull before the storm, but it was roughly disturbed when Alois stormed onto the stage, followed by a lethally annoyed Claude.

"I am dead serious Alois," Claude spat at him, wagging a finger at the back of the reluctant blonde's head. "You are not going to wear that tonight. You are not wearing that period!"

Alois stopped in the middle of the stage, whirled around and placed his clenched fists on his hips. His handsome face was scrunched up in an angry frown while he stared up at Claude who was now looming over him.

"Why are you always belittling my choice of clothing?"

"Because you always look fucking ridiculous. Seriously, what is up with that cowboy outfit? You look like a five-year old who is dressed up for Halloween."

"I thought it was very suiting," Alois quipped, crossing his arms and tapping his foot. "We're in country music now, remember?"

"That doesn't mean you have to dress up like that female cowboy from that children's movie you're always forcing me to watch with you! We're performing at the Opry, not Woody's round-up."

"It's not a children's movie, it is _Toy Story_," Alois retorted. Claude arched an eyebrow at him and dropped his shoulders with a sigh before he took his glasses off and cleaned them with the tip of his dress shirt.

"Was there even a point to what you just said?" He quipped, holding the goggles against the light to check if all the smudges were gone. Alois gritted his teeth for a moment before snarling at the older male again.

"You treat me like a child, always criticizing me and telling what I should and shouldn't do. I'm your partner, we're equals, remember. You should support me in whatever I do, so instead of acting like my mother, you can start showing some respect and treat me like your _life partner._ You're always pushing that crap down my throat but I've been acting more like one than you have."

Claude stared at him for a moment, his mouth was slightly twitching and a vein pulsed on his forehead. When he spoke again, his tone of voice was all but condescending.

"When you start acting like a responsible adult, I'll start treating you as one."

Ciel bit his tongue when he saw the infuriated Alois throw a tantrum a two-year old would've been impressed by. The cowboy outfit he was wearing didn't make it any easier not to see him as a child that was angry with his parents because he wasn't allowed to go trick-or-treating on his own. He had subtly been shoveling a little more to the background so the blonde wouldn't find a reason to involve him in their lover's spat, but nothing was less true when Alois pointed a finger at him and spat a Claude that Ciel liked his outfit.

"Right, Ciel?"

The navy haired male blinked at Alois, too afraid to look in those piercing golden eyes that always seemed to look right through him. He swallowed once, and once more for courage.

"This time, I have to agree with Claude," he murmured, and prepared to be yelled at by the blonde. When he wasn't sprayed with saliva and vile words after a minute, his eye glide to the blonde. Alois was plucking at his red and blue checked shirt and rocked back and forth on his heels, the spurs of his boats making a soft metallic click every time they hit the stage.

"So, you think I should change too?" He wondered out loud while scratching his blonde locks. Ciel just hummed, avoiding to say yes out loud. Alois shrugged, said ok and walked backstage. Claude just sighed, rubbed his eyes and turned to the room.

Ciel stared at the spot Alois had been standing moments ago, his lip twitching and his eyebrows arched in amazement. Shaking his head and scratching the back of his neck, he slowly sauntered over to Claude.

"What was that about?"

Claude pushed his hands in his pockets and dropped his chin to his chest. "Alois's way of dealing with stress. He always gets like this right before an important performance." A small smile curled Claude's lips and subtly glancing sideways at his profile, Ciel could finally see what made men and women fall for him. In the soft lightening, his eyes glistened and he didn't look so terribly demonic when he smiled like this. "You know the first time we had a big concert in Japan," Claude continued. "He had painted his face like those guys from Kiss and insisted he'd go on like that in front of sixty-thousand fans."

Ciel chortled and stared at the rows of chairs in front of him. In the back, he saw smoke curling up and the vague outlines of a person, sitting in one of the chairs in the back row. Even with his face covered by a manga pocket, Ciel could make it was Sebastian by the bone texture and the way his longer fingers held the burning cigarette.

"What is he doing?"

"That's his way of preparing for a show," Claude explained dully. "He always likes to have a _feeling of the room_, or that's how he calls it."

"So, even seasoned artists like you have weird quirks?" Ciel chuckled lightly. "So, what's yours?" He taunted, nudging the older male with his elbow. Claude angled his head so that he looked down on the navy haired male past his nose.

"I have none," he answered bluntly.

Ciel wanted to assume he was joking but the serious look on Claude's face told him otherwise.

Turning his head away so he didn't have to look at the smug expression on Claude's face, he muttered of course you don't through pouted lips. However, when he heard the clicking of heels, he perked his head up again to see what kind of disastrous outfit Alois was now going to insist on. He frowned his brows when it was not the blonde, but a woman who walked over, grace and sophistication in her every step.

"Who's that?" He whispered, but Claude didn't respond as he stared daggers at the woman who just flashed him a brilliant smile and tossed her bangs.

Stopping close enough to give the men a whiff of her alluring perfume, she perched her hand on her hip and spoke in a voice so sweet that Ciel could've sworn he heard angels feet shovel.

"Dear me, I never thought to see the members of Black Butler make such a career altering move."

Recognizing the voice as no other, Sebastian hooked a finger under the pocket that covered his eyes and pushed it up. Sighing annoyed, he straightened himself, got up and walked to the stage.

For now, Ciel could only gaze at the silver haired woman who was dressed in an elegant midnight blue dress. She was pretty enough, with amethyst eyes and a gentle face, but something in those eyes told Ciel that she was anything but gentle.

"Hello Angela," Claude acknowledged her, his voice even more arctic than usual.

"Are you fucking serious Claude?" Sebastian climbed the stage and halted next to his friend, sparing the surprised blinking Ciel or the newly appointed Angela not one single look. "Did you actually call her to get us into the Opry?"

"I did not call her," Claude answered coolly. "As a matter-of-fact, she called me."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at the man before turning to the fair haired woman. He gave her a cool nod as some form of acknowledgement. She raised her hand in front of her mouth and chuckled.

"Come on, Sebastian, what is with the cold shoulder? Come here and give me a hug, it's been such a long time since we saw each other."

"I'd rather not," he answered coolly and when he made no effort to step forward and walk into her spread arms, she did it for him and wrapped them around him. Ciel felt a painful pang in his chest when he saw her inhale Sebastian's scent.

"You still smell the same," she whispered, clinging to the fabric of his vest. "Tobacco and cologne. I still miss that scent of yours, every _single_ day."

Ciel gnashed his teeth with irritation when she not-so-subtly emphasized the word single. But, as to not make a dramatic scene over what might mean nothing in the middle of the Opry, Ciel poked Claude and leaned into him. "Who is she? An old acquaintance?"

"You can say that again," Claude answered before he repositioned his glasses. "That is Angela Blanc, manager of the Opry and Sebastian's former fiancé."

* * *

It was quiet for a couple of minutes as they all stared at the silver haired woman. Ciel felt something well up in his chest and it erupted from his lips before he could suck it up and swallow it.

"FIANCÉ?!" he spat, drawing all attention to his person. Angela smiled angelic and wrapped her arms a little tighter around Sebastian.

"That is right. Sebastian and I were supposed to get married," Angela murmured, her eyes sliding to Ciel who stared back at her with a shocked and hurt expression. Instinctively, she made the equation and a wicked smile curled her lips when she continued explaining. "Since we are both part of an aristocratic family, we were betrothed from the age ten. Pure bloods do not like bastards in the family," she punned.

Sebastian gazed over his shoulder and saw the navy haired male panting heavily as he tried to control his emotions. His blue eye was glazing over and his entire body trembled due to the words Angela had so carefully selected. Knowing she said that solely to hurt Ciel, he felt a twinge of anger in his chest.

"That was a very long time ago, Angela," Sebastian spoke while placing his hands on her shoulders and shoving her away. "And I would be grateful if you didn't bring it up every time we see each other. It is getting quite tiresome."

She crossed her arms and snapped a finger up at Ciel. "Come on Sebastian, don't tell me my instincts were actually right and that he's your new toy-thing," she declared dryly. When Sebastian didn't answer, she grunted and told him that the blue haired kid was even worse than Claude.

"Who are you to judge me?" Ciel snapped, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth when she just ignored him and turned all her focus to not-so-subtly seducing Sebastian. Ciel was about to take a step forward when Claude placed a hand on his shoulder and kept him from lashing out.

"Don't bother," he murmured and nodded to Sebastian. Ciel followed his stare and when he saw the annoyance and disgusted expression on Sebastian's face, his rage and jealousy settled a little and he could rationalize the situation.

"Have you seen your parents lately?" Angela continued, dragging a finger over Sebastian's fine tailored vest. "Since you're turning twenty-three soon, they told me they are open to discuss your options again. And when you ask nicely, I might consider coming back to you. That is, if you drop this entire nonsense, stop being a babysitter to your toy-boy and take your rightful place as the head of the board."

A jolt soared through Ciel's body when he heard those words. He could've imagined it but he was almost certain he even saw Sebastian's body jerk when Angela brought up his parents. It made him wonder if Sebastian had always been honest about the way he felt about the non-existing bond with his mother and father and if he, Claude and Alois weren't being selfish by keeping him tied to the band when he could be reconciling with his family.

While Angela had been talking, Sebastian had lazily pulled a cigarette from his vest and stuck it between his lips. He patted his pants for his Zippo lighter and when he found it, the designated click resounded through the empty hall.

"Do you even hear yourself talking?" Sebastian said when he pushed the lighter back into his pants. "Even if they offered me a place back in their midst, I would pass on both that and on you."

"What?" Angela snapped, narrowing her eyes at him. "How can you be so cruel?"

"I was taught to be honest, if the reality is cruel, that is not my problem," Sebastian said bluntly and shrugged nonchalant while pushing his hands in his pockets. Angela's amethyst eyes blurred due to the reluctant attitude he had towards her and she dropped her chin to her chest with a sob.

"You loved me once, what changed?"

Sebastian sighed irritated and dragged a hand through his hair. "You know I never loved you like that, Angela. It was an arrangement made by our parents, nothing more. And I got out before it went too far. This is my life, this band and the people in it are my life, and nothing you or my parents say will change anything about that."

Angela grumbled and raised her fist. "I will get you back, you hear me Sebastian. You will eventually realize what is good for you and dump that," she snapped a resentful finger at Ciel. "And when you do, I will be waiting."

"Yes, sure, sure. Wait all you want, see if I care." Sebastian turned on his heels and waved her words away while he strolled to Ciel. "You do whatever you think necessary, because frankly, I don't give a damn."

Ciel swallowed when Sebastian loomed over him. His face was dark and his eyes had lost their usual shimmer for a moment. Ash fell from the cigarette and whirled down until it fell on the famous Opry stage. Tipping his head back, Ciel saw Sebastian's eyes soften instantly when they met his and he offered the younger male a comforting smile. It was enough to bring them back to their moment at the carousel and Ciel swore he could hear _London bridge is falling down_ somewhere in the back.

While they had their private and intimate moment, Angela had continued yelling and pointing at Sebastian's back but neither of them heard or bothered to pay any attention to it.

"Shouldn't you be listening to what she's saying – I mean, she is the manager of this place and perhaps it's not such a good idea to ignore her."

"Meh," Sebastian shrugged nonchalant. "I don't wanna," he answered childish, accompanied by an even more boyish smirk.

"Don't wanna?" Ciel grumbled. "What if she revokes our invitation? I thought you cared about this band? Can't you just suck it up and be nice to her. It's just for one night."

"I do care about this band," Sebastian spoke, sucking at the butt of the cigarette and staring at a point behind Ciel. "But I'm not going to ignore my principals just to satisfy her. Besides, revoking an invitation she extended would be bad publicity for the Opry, so, she would never do that. Furthermore, once I start being nice to her, she will see that as some form of acceptance and then we won't see the end of her."

"She's a scorned woman – who knows what the hell she would do if you keep ignoring her."

"That's right," Sebastian murmured and took another step forward. "Let's put that theory to the test," his voice low as he cupped the younger male's cheeks.

"Sebas…" Ciel's speech was cut off when Sebastian kissed him. He heard Angela gasp and rant behind Sebastian's back but the older male ignored her completely. The attempts to push him away were futile and only made Sebastian kiss him with more aggression. Eventually, Ciel just gave in and let Sebastian slip his warm tongue into his mouth. The strong scent Angela just described hit Ciel's nostrils hard and made him weak to the knees.

"There," Sebastian told the gasping lips. "Now I don't want to see that sad look on your face anymore."

"Sebastian!" Angela screamed. "Listen and look at me when I'm talking to you."

He growled annoyed and threw a look over his shoulder. "I am busy, talk to this," he lazily flipped her the finger and commenced in ignoring her again and just peered down on the blushing male in front of him. He bend down and placed his lips against Ciel's ear.

"There was nothing between us – only her own delusion," he whispered softly and instantly swept away all of Ciel's doubts about his sincerity towards him, even if neither of the males seemed to be quite sure what it exactly was that they shared.

Ciel sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and turned his eye to the floor. "It's just… I never knew you had a fiancé and that she was still trying to get back together with you. But," he tipped his head back and looked straight into the crimson eyes. "If this is a chance for you to reconcile with your parents, perhaps you should take it."

Sebastian frowned and scratched his bangs. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't act ignorant with me, Sebastian. Even if you deny it, I can see that you miss your parents by the way you treat mine. You're respectful and kind, and always helping my mother. I can see that loving smile that can't be slapped off your face whenever you're around her. If this is a chance to go back to your family, you should take it."

Sebastian arched an eyebrow at him. "Once again, what the fuck are you ranting about? Where is this coming from all the sudden?"

"Everybody deserves a second chance, if they want to give you that, you should accept it. They're your family and I am sure they would accept you back with open arms."

Sebastian's eyebrow twitched and Ciel jolted back when the older male threw his head in his neck and laughed out loud. And he just kept laughing, even when Ciel ordered him to stop.

"What the hell are you laughing about? Stop that, you idiot," Ciel tried to punch him but Sebastian grabbed his wrist, whirled him around and pulled him into his body until Ciel's back aligned with his chest.

"You're an idiot yourself," Sebastian murmured, ruffling his navy locks with his free hand. Ciel pushed his hand away and squirmed his way out of Sebastian's grasp. He turned back to him, snorting and panting heavily. Sebastian had his head tipped back with a smug smirk curling his lips.

"What is so funny about me being concerned about your family situation."

"Because," Sebastian began, fanning out his fingers. "This; you, Claude and Alois, you are my family. Just because they're my parents doesn't mean they're my family. That is just a technical and blood related matter. Family is what you make for yourself, family is here," he jammed a finger in Ciel's chest and tapped on the younger male's racing heart. "I don't need parents who don't accept me back unless I betray my true self. I don't need them when they try to push their morals and values onto me. I am perfectly happy being here, with you all, doing what I love most in this world."

Ciel blinked at him, mashed his brows together and dropped his chin to his chest to hide his relieved expression and undeniably wide smile. At least now he had some clue where he stood with Sebastian, and being someone so close that he considered him family made him all warm inside, even if that meant that he was at the same level as Alois and Claude.

"Stupid kid," Sebastian murmured, once again ruffling Ciel's navy locks. Ciel wanted to snarl at him to keep his claws to himself but seeing the relaxed smile on Sebastian's face, made him swallow his harsh words.

"Look, Angela," Sebastian revolved on his heels and looked the woman straight in the eye. "It never worked between us and it never will. I am sorry that I have to keep repeating myself, but it seems you conveniently forget that I am not in love with you and never will be. Please tell my parents to stop attempting to push us together. I am perfectly happy the way I am now, here," he draped his arm of Ciel's shoulder. "With him," he added in a low voice.

Angela narrowed her eyes at him before they slid to Ciel and focused intently on the younger male. When she spoke, her voice was so cool and harsh, it gave Ciel goosebumps.

"I will get him back, even if you hooked your unclean claws in him. I will have Sebastian as my husband and neither you or those other demons will stop me."

Sebastian snorted and waved it away with a careless whatever. "Now," he spoke, stepping forward, turning her around and giving her a shove towards the right side of the stage. "If you don't mind, we still have some practicing to do before we go on tonight. Go and be useful for a change and send some people from the technical department to help us set up the lights and instruments."

Angela muttered some more curse words and threw in some nasty sounding _uncleans_ before she slid back into her professional attitude again and walked away. At the scenes of the stage, she was nearly knocked over by a cheery Alois that jolted out of the shadows, this time his outfit even more extravagant than the cowboy one. Claude sighed annoyed, leaped forward and already shook his head before either he or Alois had said anything. Protesting loudly, Alois was dragged back to the dressing room, leaving Sebastian and Ciel alone with their thoughts on an empty stage.

* * *

Ciel turned to the auditorium again and stared at the empty seats that would soon be filled with people who were there to listen to their music. He had given concerts before, but this would be first time with his new band – a band he had created.

"Nervous?"

He snapped his head to the right and tried to look confident as Sebastian looked him in the eye.

"Nuhuh – not at all," he spoke briskly, puffing out his chest to proof his point. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at him, walked to the edge of the stage and sat down.

"You're a horrible liar. You should work on that, especially now that you're becoming an adult and making name in this business."

"That is your opinion," Ciel snarled as he dropped down next to Sebastian and dangled his legs over the edge of the stage. He laced his hands together and fidgeted a little with his fingers while he kept peeking sideways. Sebastian seemed entirely relaxed, even with the stress of singing a whole different genre in front of a critical audience. Ciel wished he could be as collected as he was, in any type of situation.

"You will do fine."

Ciel's body jerked when Sebastian placed his hand on top of his locks and just left it there. It felt pleasantly heavy and cool and it calmed his nerves a little.

"You reckon?"

Sebastian breathed a laugh and huffed out some smoke before turning his head to look him in the eye. "I know so… I bet you will outdo yourself."

Ciel dropped his chin to his chest to hide his burning cheeks. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Sebastian's voice close to his cheek as the older man leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on Ciel's cheek. The kind gesture made Ciel smirk from ear to ear and he turned his head so that their noses almost touched.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"It has nothing to do with tonight or anything, and you don't really have to answer…" He stuttered, fidgeting with his fingers and pondering his own motivations to ask him that question at a time like this. But, with another person who knew Sebastian better than he did taking the stage, he felt the need to get the entire story straight. He wanted to know more about him and getting an insight on his family and his contradicting morals would be a good a start as any.

Sebastian rolled his eyes and chuckled softly at his clumsy stammering. "Just get on with it, we have a performance in two hours."

"Mmm," Ciel nodded and exhaled a sigh before continuing. "How come you are so indifferent when it comes to your parents not excepting you are gay but you are so anxiously hiding it from the media? It is so contradicting that it hardly makes any sense."

Sebastian leaned back a little, taking his fantastic smell with him. For a reason unknown, that small gesture somehow resembled a newly created gap between them and Ciel could smack himself for even bringing it up. Sebastian fingered the pocket of his vest and pulled out a fresh smoke.

"I don't really care about my parents, but I do care about my career. Simple and not very contradicting, right?"

It was evident by his entire attitude that he wanted to leave it at that and before Ciel could start apologizing, a set of footsteps walked onto the stage and a low voice announced that they were with the technical group.

Sebastian winked. "Showtime," he whispered before pushing himself up and walking to the crew.

* * *

Ciel remained in place and just stared at the empty seats. Out of selfish motivations, he might have ruined his chances with Sebastian, or was he overreacting? Besides that, his determination was beginning to fail him when he became aware of the pressure this performance had on them as a band. This single concert could make and break them in the country world – their entire dream could already be over before they achieved their ultimate goal, winning the competition and the stunt he just pulled wasn't very motivational at all.

"Ciel."

He snapped his head up and blinked at the hand that was reached out to him. Sebastian was giving him that relaxed and comforting smile again. Even if his selfish action had created a gap, the smile was still the same one he had given him before Ciel decided to try and push him into a corner.

"Come on, we need to instruct the crew."

Ciel swallowed, his eyes desperately searching the stage for their other band members.

"Wouldn't it be better if you waited for Claude, or even Alois. Either of them will do, right? They know a lot more about this kind of stuff than I do."

Sebastian frowned at him for a moment, squatted and placed his palms on the stage.

"There are always things in life you do not know, and you will never know them if you don't just throw yourself into the middle of it and try. Everybody fails, that's only natural, but you cannot already give up before you started trying."

Ciel chortled softly. "Do you read motivational calendars or do you always know the right thing to say?"

"No, I'm just good," Sebastian said, grinning arrogantly and tossing his bangs. "Now, come on," he stood and reached out his hand again. "Let me be your tutor. I will teach you everything you need to know."

Ciel nodded with a smile, forgot about his doubts about the gap and the performance, took Sebastian's cool hand and let the older male pull him to his feet. After a comforting ruffling of the hair, he confidentially followed Sebastian to the crew and watched him give directions like it was the most natural thing. And with Sebastian… it probably was.

* * *

Did any of you expect to see that conniving bitch make her entrance in this story? And in such a confronting way? I am such a rebel!

Like I said, I was really struggling with this chapter - there were so many different emotions flying around and there were some character developments that needed an explanation. Furthermore, there is another person who knows Sebastian better than Ciel which is really starting to push Ciel's stress button which might result in him bursting some time soon and demanding Sebastian to be honest about their relationship or maybe the inevitable break-up of whatever they are sporting. All reasonable topics for the last 6 chapters, so... stick around if you want to know the ending.

Nothing else to report here, just, bestow me with your ever kind reviews and I shall update both TCM and MM again this week. Oh goodie goodie goodie, as JM Tatum would say.


	23. Act 79

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

AH! A moment I have been living for. The sole reason to even read this story! THE OPRY CONCERT!

Hahaha, no - this chapter is so, so, so important. People, this chapter is so important that do I dare say, it is the crucial turn in the relationship between Ciel and Sebastian? Mmyeah, I do dare say that.

So, I will not keep you any longer. One more thing, I updated an OVA chapter, a sort of spin off so to speak of Motivate Me. Go read and review that after this and make me a very happy writer.

Enjoy!

O.

* * *

Noises and voices in the auditorium were a herald that the theatre was filling up. Soon, Angela would walk onto the stage to announce the very first live performance of the Funtom Company and that would either mean the rising or the falling of their career.

Ciel stood near the extensive and luxurious buffet and nervously warmed up his fingers. With earplugs rendering him deaf from what happened around him, he played along with whatever guitar solo passed in his playlist. Every now and then, his eye shot to the enormous clock that hung from the wall across from him. It slowly, almost mockingly ticked the seconds away. Twenty minutes. Fifteen minutes. Twelve minutes. It was enough to drive the navy haired male up the wall.

"Ciel!"

He yelped involuntarily when someone roughly yanked a earplug out of his ear. He turned on his heels and stared daggers at the blonde. Alois held the plug up and snapped a finger at it.

"You'll go deaf someday if you keep the music on that volume."

"Whatever," Ciel snarled while taking the mp3 played from breast pocket of his blue shirt and switching the music off. His eye glide over the blonde and the attire he finally decided on. With his blue and white shirt with buttons on the right shoulder, skinny jeans and simple beige suede shoes he looked anything but himself.

"You look…" Ciel tried to find a world that did not always pop to mind when he thought about the blonde's usual choice of clothing. "Normal," he finally decided on with a sharp nod.

"I know," Alois grunted while pushing the sleeves of his shirt up. "Claude's idea of _appropriate performance attire_," he quipped, using his fingers as quotation marks.

Ciel breathed a laugh at the disgusted look on the blonde's face and shook his head. A sparkle in the corner of his eye caught his attention and Ciel frowned at the necklace Alois wore around his neck.

"Claude does allow you to wear jewelry though?" He nodded to the leather lace and the object that dangled from it. Alois fingered it and dropped his chin to his chest when he took the small key in his hand.

"Claude gave this to me for our one year anniversary."

Ciel snorted. "Don't tell me, it's the key to his rumored heart."

Alois chuckled and playfully smacked the navy haired male against the side of his head.

"No, this is the key to the suitcase of his first bass guitar. He bought that bass and case with the money he and Sebastian earned with their first performance in San Francisco. After we got famous, all of our instruments came from sponsors, so, he gave me this to remind me of how precious I am to him."

Ciel ignored the pang of jealousy he felt in his chest and swallowed. "That is not very Claude-like."

Alois breathed a laugh and lovingly stroke the key. "I know, but if you are willing to listen beyond all the cursing and patronizing, you'll find out that he is a very caring and generous person."

Ciel briefly remembered the bit of humanity Claude had shown him when Angela took the stage and had twirled around Sebastian like a horny poodle. It made him wonder if he was being to judgmental when it came to Claude. That was until the older male passed and told them to stop looking like daft idiots and start preparing.

"No," Ciel shook his head at Alois and threw the remnants of his Budweiser back. "I just don't see the generous and caring," he quipped and made Alois chuckle.

"You have to really look closely," Alois declared, pushing Ciel in the small of his back. "But not right now, we have to be on in ten."

Ciel swallowed nervously and felt his knees buckle. Alois chirped on behind him about an off topic subject that had something to do with either clothes or the weird fairy lights he saw floating around his head due to the cheap pot he had smoked earlier. Ciel paid little attention and could only hear the soft chanting that became louder as they closed in on the wings of the stage.

Sebastian and Claude were whispering something and judging by the actual frustration on Sebastian's face, it had something to with the performance.

"I know you told me to remember to bring the scotch, but I am not your mother," Claude grunted groggily while repositioning his glasses.

"You always used to bring that shit for me back in San Francisco, you idiot," Sebastian snapped. "I never think about it because you always brought that stuff to our performances."

"Well, assuming that you are an adult by now, I figured you could think for your own. Oh, how wrong I have been."

"What's wrong?"

Sebastian and Claude ignored Ciel's question and just stared daggers at each other, both ready to pounce if necessary. Alois stepped in, pulling a flask from his back pocket.

"Relax, Sebas… haha, that rhymes," he laughed, holding up the shiny silver flask. "I brought your smear-the-throat booze. I figured you would forget it. Black bush, right?"

Sebastian took the flask from the blonde, twisted the husk off and inhaled delighted.

"You're a lifesaver, Alois," he put the flask to his lips and sipped the strong liquor. "Perhaps I underestimate your powers of observation every now and then."

"You always underestimate me," Alois snorted before offering Ciel a wide smile. The navy haired male did not really return it and just stared at the old wooden floor panels.

"Oh, look what the draft blew in."

Recognizing that voice like no other, Ciel snapped his head up and whirled around on his heels.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" He snapped, studying the pair suspiciously. Aleister and Will stopped in front of him and the former fanned out his fingers.

"We came to wish you luck, one professional to another, so," Aleister passed Ciel and walked to Sebastian to shake his hand. Ciel gnashed his teeth at the impossibly rude pun and stared irritated at Will's shoes.

"Don't mind him."

The navy haired male tilted his head and gazed in the electric green eyes of his former lover. Will offered him a kind smile and stepped closer to the young guitarist.

"You look good, Ciel."

Ciel raised an eyebrow and threw a look over his shoulder. Sebastian was staring blank at the blonde that kept going on about his upcoming performance at the Opry and seemed to pay little attention to Will standing that close to his lover.

"Euhm… thanks. You look good too. How have you been?"

Will shrugged and drove a hand through his oil black locks. "You know, the same. Working, writing songs and performing," he stepped a little closer and now Ciel could smell a scent that used to be familiar to him. Salty and fresh – like the ocean. It used to make him feel safe, now it did little to nothing to him anymore.

"It's been rather busy, otherwise I would've called you to talk or something," Will continued.

Again, Ciel threw a look over his shoulder. This time, he met those crimson eyes and Sebastian raised a puzzled eyebrow at him. Ciel smiled, hoping his lover would step in to poke into their private talk, but nothing was less true when Sebastian just smiled back and turned his attention to the ranting Aleister again. Ciel felt a pang in his chest that was so painful that his entire body jolted.

"Are you ok?" Ciel felt Will's hand on his shoulder but it offered little comfort.

Brushing the hand off, Ciel tried for a genuine smile. "I am fine. Thanks for the concern. Yes, I have been meaning to call you too."

"You know," Will covered a little more distance between them. "Perhaps we could go and grab a cup of coffee sometime soon?" He suggested with a kind smile.

"Ciel?"

The navy haired male jolted at the deep voice and the hand that was placed on his shoulder. He knew it was Sebastian, because he could already smell his designated scent of cigarette and cologne closing in long before he had said his name. He felt the strong and muscular chest align with his back and the breath that blew down his neck as Sebastian bend down to whisper in his ear made him shudder.

"We have to go."

Ciel swallowed, nodded and offered Will another smile, this time, it was meant. "How about I give you a call about that cup of coffee somewhere next week."

Will nodded. "That would be good for me. Good luck with the performance."

"Thanks," Ciel turned on his heels and tipped his head back to look Sebastian in the eye. He did not seem impressed or irritated, but the slight arching of the eyebrow could indicate that he was confused.

"Coffee? Aren't you getting snug with your ex again?" He said in an almost mocking tone. Ciel grinned wide when he thought he had reached his goal.

"Yes," he said, crossing his arms and tilting his head arrogantly. "You got a problem with that?"

Sebastian shrugged. "It's your life, do whatever you want with it," he said and pointed over his shoulder after. "We have to get on, Angela is already announcing us," and with that, Sebastian turned his back on Ciel and walked to where Claude and Alois were already waiting on their cue.

Ciel swallowed once, and one more time to try to get rid of the lump that blocked his throat. Even when they were announced and Claude and Sebastian walked onto the stage, he stood as if nailed to the floor.

"Ciel?"

He looked up and saw the worry in Alois's pale blue eyes.

"Are you alright?"

The navy haired male just nodded.

"Then why are you crying?"

Ciel's body jolted when he felt a tear roll down his cheek. He wiped it away and offered Alois a somewhat confident smile.

"Stage fright I suppose, let's go," he passed the blonde, jogged up the two steps and walked onto the stage. Alois stared thoughtfully after him but decided to spare it no further thought right now and followed him.

* * *

The lights were blinding, and the crowd went wild. Ciel walked to his guitar and touched it lovingly before picking it up and heaving the band over his head. Vaguely, he could make out his parents who sat in the front row. Rachel was waving exuberantly, a large bouquet of sterling roses in her hands. Vincent gave his son a confident nod and a thumbs up. Ciel smiled meekly and turned his gaze to Sebastian.

"Good evening," Sebastian spoke, his lips against the microphone. "I'm Sebastian Michaelis." After speaking those words, he turned his gaze to Ciel and gave him a confident smile and wink. It instantly lifted the younger male's mood and after Sebastian played the harmonica intro of Anywhere, his fingers stroke the first guitar accords of their already legendary song.

The performance worked, everything that every single one of the band members had imagined could go wrong did not happen, and even when Sebastian temporarily lost the words of the last verse of Down Low Blues, the audience filled in the blanks. Sebastian had just laughed it off and with his arms spread and hands moving on the rhythm, he encouraged the mass to continue singing.

"You know," Sebastian pushed the hair that was matted to his forehead by sweat out of his eyes and took the microphone from the standard. "I believe I haven't properly introduced the amazing members of the band," he slowly rotated on his heels.

"Behind the drums, we have Alois Trancy." And as expected, Alois gave the audience a taste of his impossible talent of free styling.

"That's just overdoing it, Alois," Sebastian joked and breathed a laugh in the microphone when he saw the spiteful look on the blonde's face. His infectious laugh caused a laugh through the room as well.

"The bass is played by none other than my very best friend and the most talented bass player I ever met, Claude Faustus." And he too gave the audience a wonderful piece of classic bass playing, mixing some of the old tunes of Black Butler with their new songs.

"And last, but certainly not least, the endless inspirational and gifted skills of Ciel Phantomhive, former band member of Collide but now, luckily, our lead guitarist."

And like that, Ciel amazed even his own band members by giving a piece them a solo that made the audience go wild and made the guitar cry such notes it almost sounded like a banjo. Even as the solo came to an end, the audience kept cheering and whistling. Ciel grinned wide when he met Sebastian's shocked expression. Offering the older male a wink, Sebastian grinned back at him and whirled back to the audience.

"The next song we're about to play is one that was written after we had a small road trip to New Orleans."

As Sebastian spoke, both Claude and Ciel softly started to play the first accords of Nowhere Town and it caused another outburst of chants through the room.

"On the way back," Sebastian continued, ignoring the cries and shouts. "We went to a motel to spend the night. I shared a room with Ciel, and you know, it was just a crazy night. We went for a swim in the pool and got chased by the night manager, a tiny fat guy with a pulsing vein on his forehead," he turned his head to look at Ciel. "I don't know, it was just an amazing night and that is perhaps why this is song is so close to my heart. I hope you enjoy it… _He little girl, let me lay it down. I know you have your troubles and you know I've got mine._"

After the show was over, they got a standing ovation that seemed to go on and on. Once the room was cleared and the Opry was quiet again, Ciel had walked back onto the stage to look back on the evening in silence.

* * *

"He you."

He snapped his head up and took the bottle of cold Corona Sebastian offered him.

"Thanks," he murmured and put the bottle against his lips. Sebastian sank down next to him and dangled his legs over the edge of the stage. After a few moments of silence, Ciel cocked his head to the right and gazed at Sebastian's profile.

"You did really amazing tonight, Sebastian. I was sincerely blown away by your voice."

Sebastian breathed a smile and picked at the label of the bottle. "Yes. I suppose I thought about all the great artists who stood there before me and tried to pay a tribute to them. I wanted it to be more than just a performance. I wanted it to be a show."

"Well," Ciel took a sip and rolled the moist bottle between his hands. "You succeeded at that. You gave it your all and the audience loved you."

"Meh," Sebastian shrugged. "It wouldn't have been that great without you guys," he turned his head to look at Ciel. "You were so fucking brilliant tonight. I don't think you ever played that solo of Nowhere Town that splendidly."

Ciel grinned and took another sip before leaning in and cupping Sebastian's dick trough his pants. "I guess I was thinking about all the artists who fucked on this stage and hoped to pay tribute to them as well," he murmured.

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at him. "Are you fucking serious?"

"Never been more deadly serious in my life."

"Is that honestly all you ever think about? We just had the most amazing performance and all you can think about is sex?" Sebastian pushed the hand away, stood and started to walk away. Ciel gritted his teeth but could no longer hold it down. He scrambled to his feet and heard his own voice yell at Sebastian's back.

"What else am I supposed to think about with you, huh? What else is there than sex between us?!"

Sebastian stopped in his trail and turned to the navy haired male. Mashing his brows together, he asked Ciel what the hell he was talking about.

"All I know about you is that you like to fuck me. That you like to stick your dick up my ass."

"Ciel," Sebastian groaned while dragging his hand through his hair. "There is plenty you know about me. I told you those four things when we got back from New Orleans."

"Yes, of course. How could I forget about the infamous four things nobody else knows, huh. But how about Claude who knows about your entire history, about your nightmares and your ex-fiancé. Angela, who knows about your parents and fucking Alois who knows you need fucking whisky to anoint your throat before performing, huh? What the fuck is up with that?!" He screamed, throwing his bottle against the décor to channel his anger.

Sebastian stared motionless at him, his lips pressed together to a thin stripe while the younger male ranted on.

"I know shit about you. I'm just the one you fuck, the one who doesn't need to know anything but just has to spread his legs and take it when it pleases you."

"Ciel… I…"

"No, don't fucking bother. I know, it was the deal. We got to fuck each other without any strings attached. Well, I can't fucking do it. I just cannot do it anymore. I am the one who desperately wants to know you and who you push away. I am the one who you can satisfy your sexual needs, regardless of how it effects me because we made that fucking deal."

"That is not true," Sebastian spoke calmly.

"Yes it fucking is," Ciel screamed. "My ex asked if we could grab a cup of coffee soon and you couldn't care less. You don't fucking care if I go out with him because I am nothing more than a toy to you, just like your ex-fiancé said, a play thing you can toss aside easily because you won't let him into your life."

By now, Sebastian saw tears stream down his cheeks and he felt a painful twinge in his chest as Ciel caved in and buried his face in his hands.

"Every time I think I get to know you a little better is the time someone else drops by who knows more about you than I will ever know and it is driving me insane," he sobbed and wrapped his arms around his body as he rocked back and forth. "I fucking hate it!" He screamed, squeezing his eye shut so he wouldn't have to see the inevitably disgusted look on Sebastian's face.

"What the hell is happening here?" Claude climbed the stage and stared coolly at the crying Ciel. Alois, who had followed him, cried the young man's name and leaped forward.

"Don't," Sebastian raised his arm and stopped the blonde. Alois snapped his head up to the older male and stared daggers at him.

"What the fuck did you do to him? Are you fucking blind you idiot, he needs somebody."

"He does, but that somebody is not you," Sebastian told him coldly.

"Oh yes, because it is you, Mister play ignorant because it is easier to fuck him without having to deal with feelings," Alois snarled, ignoring Claude who tried to call him to reason. "Open your fucking eyes you bastard. That kid is in love with you and you take fucking advantage of that," the blonde finished harshly.

"Alois, I am going to tell you this once. Leave the fucking stage, now," Sebastian told him, not sparing the blonde's rant any thought.

"The hell I am," Alois snapped back and struggled against the arm that held him back. "Unlike others, I care about him, and he needs somebody to comfort him."

"Alois," Claude spoke in his authoritative voice as he grabbed the blonde's arm. "This is not our place. They need to work this out together."

"Are you actually sticking up for him? Figures since he used to fuck you," Alois spat and fruitlessly struggled against Claude's grip on his arm. "You both fucking disgust me."

Ignoring him again, Sebastian turned to Claude and asked him to keep everyone away from the stage. He agreed and easily dragged a screaming and kicking Alois along. When they had left the stage again, Sebastian turned to the miserably sobbing heap.

* * *

Ciel could hardly breathe through the sobs that welled up in his throat. His entire body trembled with both agony and anger. He could smack himself for lashing out like this and he was more than certain he had now lost Sebastian entirely.

Sebastian walked over, squatted and cupped Ciel's chin. At first, the younger male recoiled at the gentle touch but gradually, he let Sebastian tilt his head until they looked each other in the eye.

"Such ugly and unnecessary tears," Sebastian murmured softly while carefully wiping the drops away with his free hand.

Ciel gritted his teeth. "I'm crying because of you, fucking idiot," he snapped.

Sebastian smiled and gave him a sharp nod. "Exactly. Like I said, completely and utterly unnecessary."

Before Ciel could respond with another harsh lash out, Sebastian bend down and forcefully pressed his lips against Ciel's. Completely caught off guard, he let the older male work him to the floor with ease until his body was pinned between the stage and Sebastian's body.

He felt the warm tongue caress his bottom lip and he automatically opened his mouth to welcome the aggressive and passionate intrusion and moaned obeying when Sebastian's tongue crashed against his.

Sebastian tilted his head back, abruptly breaking the kiss and smirking smug at the shocked expression on Ciel's face.

"Good, you stopped," he murmured, shifted off Ciel's body and lay down next to him. He placed one hand under his head and the other trailed down the heaving torso.

"Sebastian, I…" Ciel stopped talking when Sebastian shook his head at him.

"Not now," he whispered before making Ciel moan by pushing his hand down the younger male's pants and stroking his cock through the fabric of his boxers. The cock reacted instantly and twitched eagerly against Sebastian's hand. He bend down and placed his lips against the throbbing throat of the aroused younger male.

"You do not mean nothing to me," Sebastian breathed before he sucked hard on the warm skin and lapped at the red mark after. Ciel was rendered speechless and just groaned approvingly at the harsh administration. Sebastian repeatedly sucked on his throat, as if leaving his mark on the younger male while he pumped fast at the rigid dick, putting extra pressure on the shaft to intensify the pleasure.

"Ah… shit…na-hah… Sebastian."

Sebastian detached his lips from the throat, propped up on his knees and shoved Ciel's t-shirt up his torso. He placed soft, suckling kisses over the trembling chest and nudged the pert left nipple with his nose before flicking his tongue over it. All the while, the crimson eyes studied the expression on the younger male's face.

Ciel could only gasp for breath, the nails of his left hand scraping over the planks of the stage and the other tangled in Sebastian's raven locks. He felt the warm tongue trail down his abs and dip into his naval. He felt the slender fingers unbutton and unzip his pants and he lifted his hips a little so Sebastian could work his pants and boxers down.

Sebastian curled his fingers around the base of the shaft. Ciel jerked his hips up and cursed hard when Sebastian engulfed the dick entirely. He gently sucked on it, swallowing the precum that leaked from the tip before bobbing back up and popping it out of his mouth.

"FUCK. Fuck, fuck – fuuuuck," Ciel grunted, pounding his head against the stage while Sebastian massaged his balls with one hand, jerked him off with the other and flicked his tongue over the head of the throbbing dick.

Sebastian pushed himself up and reached out a hand to the disappointed Ciel. Reluctantly, the younger male took it and let Sebastian pull him to his feet.

"I was enjoying that," Ciel protested. Sebastian said nothing, just grabbed his wrist and started to drag him to the drum set. Ciel gathered his pants and boxers in his hand and followed him with newfound curiosity.

"Sit," Sebastian commanded and promptly pushed Ciel down on the stool. The younger male arched an eyebrow at him but soon forgot it when Sebastian took his shoes and socks off. Ciel grabbed his cock and slowly stroke himself while the older male undressed himself entirely. For a moment, he stood there, the dimly lit room intensifying the splendor of his long muscles and impeccable skin.

Sebastian's eyes stared deep in Ciel's and for a moment, he wavered. But, determined to finish what he had started, he stepped forward and flanked Ciel's legs.

"Sebastian… what are you?" Ciel grunted and swallowed when Sebastian grabbed the younger male's rigid dick and started to lower his body. Ciel felt the tight hole press against the head of his dick and dropped his chin to his chest.

Rubbing some of the precum over the muscle, Sebastian swallowed and slowly started to lower himself on the dick. At first, his body seemed to resist it and he heard Ciel tell him it wasn't necessary, but persistently, he kept pushing down. A painful grunt welled up in his throat when the tip of the head drove itself into his body, followed gradually by the entire glans. Tears stung in his eyes but he kept sliding down.

"Fuck, Sebastian…" Ciel grabbed his hips and dug his fingertips into the firm flesh. "You are so fucking tight."

Sebastian bit hard on his bottom lip not to cry out and with every inch that went in, it seemed to intensify. At last, he felt the base press against his ass. Dropping his chin to his chest, he panted heavily.

"Are you alright?" Ciel asked, reaching up a hand to cup Sebastian's chin. Tilting his head back, he saw a rare blush color the older male's cheeks.

"I'm fine," he answered through gritted teeth and to prove his point, he slid up the dick and moved down again to get a feeling of how it felt when it moved inside him.

The minor movement made Ciel grunt hard and deep and he threw his head back as the muscles inside Sebastian clenched his dick tight. His fingers dug deep into the flesh of Sebastian's hips and he hissed through his teeth when he dropped his chin to his chest again and saw his dick slide into the tight hole.

With every thrust, the pain subsided a little and soon, Sebastian slid up and down the thick cock in a rhythm that fanned a new arousal in his body and he grunted loud when Ciel started to jerk him off in the same tempo as he rode Ciel. As he angled his hips into the warm hand, the head of Ciel's dick hit a spot in his body and Sebastian cursed and growled in pleasure and every time the dick brushed against his prostate, Sebastian started to enjoy himself a little more.

Ciel smirked satisfied and loved watching Sebastian getting aroused while he rode his dick hard and fast. He had never fathomed the older male would even look damned perfect in a submissive position, if he even was submissive. He was still in the controlling role, clenching Ciel's dick tighter at will and deciding the rhythm in which he rode him.

"Shit… Sebastian… I am going to fucking… fuck," Ciel cursed, tightening his grip on the thick cock of the older male and jerking him off in an even faster tempo.

"Me too… nah… shit… shit fucking damnit shit," Sebastian cursed while he dropped his chin to his chest and the minute he looked Ciel in the eye, the younger male came. Feeling the warm sperm squirting into his body and Ciel jerking him off, Sebastian came too, spraying both their chests with his sperm.

Ciel placed his free hand against the back of Sebastian's head and while pushing him forward, he reached out his neck until their lips met in an aggressive kiss that muffled most of their moans and curses. Breaking it off to both draw erratic and vaporous breaths, Sebastian placed his forehead against Ciel's and looked him in the eye.

"You do not," he panted and swallowed. "You do not mean nothing to me, Ciel."

Ciel swallowed, panted and nodded. "T-Thank you," he whispered before kissing Sebastian again, a little more passionate this time.

* * *

That evening, Sebastian opened the doors to his private sanctuary to Ciel and it was everything Ciel had not expected from his bedroom. The enormous bed with black sheets matched his imagination but there was no wide television screen or golden records hanging from the wall. Instead, one wall was covered with bookcases, packed with books and manga pockets. On the other he had wardrobe and a writing desk packed with piles of papers and drawing equipment. His entire ceiling was covered with film posters and some were rolled up in a corner near the balcony door. There were clothes and cigarette butts scattered around the floor and the entire room smelled of Sebastian. Ciel inhaled deep and sighed a little too delighted.

"You have permission to move further into the room, you know?"

Ciel turned to the door. Sebastian leaned against the frame and smiled calmly at him. It made Ciel blush and fidget with his fingers. Sebastian rolled his eyes, chuckled and stepped forward. He closed the door with his foot and made Ciel yelp when he leaped forward, grabbed his waist and hurled the two of them onto the bed. He pulled the younger male's back against his chest and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"How's your ass doing," Ciel joked and laughed when Sebastian grunted and buried his face in Ciel's neck, nudged it with his nose and pressing a kiss on the soft skin.

"It has been better to be honest," he replied dryly and made Ciel shiver by lapping at the red marks he had left in the younger male's neck earlier that night.

"You mean before I filled you to bursting," Ciel provoked. In response, Sebastian briefly sank his teeth in the delicate throat, making Ciel yelp and swear he wouldn't make ass jokes anymore. For a few moments, they just lay there in silence, Ciel gently stroking Sebastian's bare forearm.

"Tell me about your family."

Sebastian cracked an eye open. "What was that?"

Ciel turned his head so he could look Sebastian in the eye. "Would you tell me about your family, please?"

"Ciel," Sebastian groaned. "I don't fucking want to talk about my family. They're not worth ruining a perfectly decadent moment over."

"Please? I want to know more about you and since they are a part of you…"

"Alright already, enough with the knowing me speech. I am really not that interesting you have to cry and throw a tantrum over it."

"I think you are."

Sebastian stared in the blue eye that silently begged him. He grunted, turned Ciel's head so that he could whisper in his ear about the horror that was his childhood with his family back in England until the two of them fell asleep.

* * *

Ok... honestly? What is your real opinion about Sebastian right now? The poor fucker pushed his pride aside and took it up the ass for Ciel, if that is not commiting to someone, then I do not know what is.

I know, the chapter sucked a little, but it is 4 in morning so don't be too cruel, please. As stated above, review this and go and read/review the OVA after that. To let you in on a secret, there is even more smut in the OVA; Sebastian/Claude smut!

I am out, spelling check will follow when I don't have to work in 3 hours.


	24. Act 83

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

Dear me, has it been a week since I updated this? Oh well, guess I wasn't really motivated due to the minor response on the additional chapters. Epid fail - crashed and burned sooner than the Rpatz relationship.

Ok, getting over myself, I would like to say one thing about the previous chapter. The not preparing of Sebastian's delicates before he got impaled by Ciel. Well, I can say this, preperation is completely unnessecary. Personal experience? Yes. Look... it might've been a kind gesture from Ciel's side to prepare his lover by finger fucking him first, but I doubt three of his fingers are equal to his dick. Besides, Sebastian is a man and he can take it as such. Nothing can truely prepare a person for taking it up the ass for the first time, and having Ciel finger fuck him first would've only delayed the tension which was not desireable in that arc. So, that is why I decided against it.

Well people, probably a chapter some have been waiting for, eagerly. Excitement galore! Don't splosh your panties too soon, because it is me, and you never know where I will take you next.

For now, enjoy!

O.

* * *

The rays of the morning sun were blazing unforgiving through the open curtains. The bright white light was so penetrating that it woke Ciel from his deep slumber. The warmth felt pleasant on his skin and the whiff of Sebastian's scent that he smelled with every breath made for the best awakening he had in years.

Still fully dressed, he could only smirk at the glory of having slept next to Sebastian, in his bed, without feeling the pressure to give him something in return. It felt like last night, aside from being the first who got to fuck Sebastian Michaelis, he had accomplished something grand. Something no other had reached with the older male before.

Feeling the weight of the arm that was draped over his waist and the gentle heaving of the chest against his back was such an immense pleasure, it gave him an instant erection. But, Ciel ignored it, all to savor the pleasure of not having to have sex with Sebastian to be with him, even if the feeling of the older male's morning boner poking his thigh was hard to resist.

"You are over thinking something again, aren't you?"

Ciel jolted and turned his head a little. Sebastian's eyes were closed and the calm smile that almost permanently curled his lips was in place, as usual.

"How do you reckon?" Ciel asked with a skeptical raise of the eyebrow.

Cracking an eye open, Sebastian smirked at him. "Because you have that lunatic smirk on your lips again. The one you have every time you're having this sort of inner monologue with yourself."

"I do not have inner monologues with myself," Ciel muttered while turning his head to the open balcony doors again. "I am not a crazy person."

"Yes you are," Sebastian joked with a soft chuckle laced through his voice and nuzzled the back of the younger male's neck with his nose. "It is adorable."

"Shut up," Ciel snorted while rolling his eye. "I am all but certain that I am anything but adorable."

"Proof it," Sebastian breathed husk in his ear.

The deep voice and the not-so-subtle suggestion in it send all too pleasant shivers down Ciel's spine and made his erection jerk, begging to be touched by Sebastian's long fingers. He wiggled and turned, facing Sebastian and making the older male smirk when he pushed him over and sat on top of him, straddling his hips with as much ease as Sebastian granted him to have.

Bending down, he brushed his lips over the fine shade of stubbles on Sebastian's jaw and instead of resenting the prickling touch, he loved this new sensation. He shoveled down and pressed a trail of suckling kisses down the throbbing throat. Sebastian's skin did not only smell and taste like it usually did, Ciel could also faintly detect his own essence on him and it made the illusion that Sebastian was his all the more real. It made him grunt excitedly against the cool skin as he pushed his hand under Sebastian's grey t-shirt and felt his way up the muscular torso.

Sebastian propped his pillow up against the headboard, put one hand behind his head and absentmindedly felt around his nightstand with the other. Eventually, his fingers reached for a much desired Lucky Strike cigarette and he lazily placed it between his lips. The click of the Zippo lighter seemed to arouse Ciel even further and Sebastian groaned in the back of his throat when the younger male flicked his fingers over his nipples.

"Aren't you enthusiastic this morning," Sebastian murmured, biting on the butt of the cigarette as he lit it and regardlessly threw the lighter aside after. Ciel answered by sitting up and tugging Sebastian's checked dress shirt off. Reaching, Sebastian grabbed the back of his t-shirt and yanked it off, exposing his gloriously toned torso to the early morning sun.

Ciel growled and licked his lips eagerly. His eye never left the crimson ones of Sebastian as he worked his way down the chest, circling both nipples with his tongue and trailing it over the abs.

Sebastian watched the seducing movements of Ciel's tongue through lidded eyes and felt his cock jerk, greedily and impatiently awaiting to be touched by the younger male. The slender fingers hooked behind Sebastian's jeans and he heard the button pop. Propping up between his legs, Sebastian sucked air through his teeth when Ciel bend down and used his teeth to unzip him. He lifted his pelvis a little so that the younger male could tug his jeans down.

Ciel lay down and smirked while nudging the erection with his nose. "I really turn you on, don't I?" He purred in a silky voice.

Sebastian shrugged reluctant. "Meh, I think every man who touches my erection in the morning turns me on," he explained blunt. "It is kind of inevitable not to get aroused when someone is breathing down on your cock."

Ciel stared up with a shocked expression. Sebastian offered him and lopsided smirk and nonchalantly sucked on the smoke that hung loosely between his lips.

"Why the fuck do you have to be like that?" Ciel spat, propping himself up on his knees. The crimson eyes sadly watched him move into a sitting position and Sebastian sighed out a cloud of tobacco.

"Why the hell are you asking for conformation when I think it's quite self-explanatory that you turn me on. I'm hard, so I am obviously aroused by you. What do you want, an award or something?"

Ciel crossed his arms and while turning his head to the window, he muttered that a compliment every now and then would be nice. Sebastian sighed annoyed, placed his cigarette in the copper ashtray on his nightstand and pushed himself up. He made Ciel yelp involuntarily when he grabbed his ass and massaged it with a firm hand.

"Ciel, my love," his lips whispered in a deep and sultry voice against the throbbing skin of Ciel's throat. "You have by far the most gifted holes I ever fucked."

Not being in control of his tantrum anymore, Ciel barked a laugh as Sebastian continued in a serious voice that was laced with teasing mockery.

"If there had been a prize for the tightest and hottest mouth and ass, I would nominate you every year and convince the jury by telling them how your glorious hole clenches my dick so tight and how slick your throat feels when you engulf my cock with your hot mouth."

"That's enough," Ciel laughed, turning his head to Sebastian and staring in his crimson eyes. "I think I get the picture."

Sebastian grinned and shook his head. "No, it is never enough. I want to write ballads about your tight ass and serenade them to you underneath your balcony. Oh, hear me – an ode to Ciel Phantomhive's glorious mouth. Let me savagely fuck it underneath a starry sky…"

"Sebastian, serious," Ciel chuckled and smacked his chest. "Shut the fuck up."

"…Allow me to impale you with my dick and let me endure what true pleasure feels like. Ciel, my Ciel – let me make love to you and make me a better man…"

"Please," Ciel moaned tortured. "Stop it – this is getting fucking embarrassing and it is getting me all hot and bothered."

"…Oh dearest and most beloved of all boys, do me the honor of fucking you and show me the meaning of eternal glory and passion through your gifted holes and endless whispers of lust and devotion," Sebastian drove his hands into Ciel's pants, squeezed his ass and prodded his hole through the fabric of his boxers. "Ever thine," he whispered against the now shivering throat. "Ever mine," he dragged his tongue over the radiating skin. "Ever ours."

Ciel took Sebastian's face into his hands, tipped the older male's head back and roughly kissed the parted and smirking lips.

"You're an idiot," he whispered while each drew an erratic breath.

Sebastian grinned. "Yes, but entirely your idiot," he expressed in a soft and husk voice. Ciel groaned pleased and sucked the older male's bottom lip between his own.

"Lay back down," he murmured seductively. After another heated kiss, Sebastian complied eagerly and sank back against his pillow.

* * *

Ciel placed his hands on Sebastian's knees and slowly caressed his way up over the strong thighs, his eye never leaving the intense crimson ones that unknowingly motivated him to do things he never fathomed of doing to anyone else.

He lay down, flanked by the strong legs and hypnotized under the piercing look of Sebastian. Dipping his tongue into the naval, Ciel intentionally tried to stall touching the twitching dick and as expected, it irked Sebastian immensely.

"Quit doddling and use that gifted tongue of yours to lick my dick."

Ciel chuckled. "Such refined words for a man of your standard and grandeur. I wonder what the aristocrats have to say about that," he joked sarcastically.

Sebastian tipped his head back and offered him an arrogant smirk. "Naturally, I am British after all, and I am but certain the aristocrats would full-heartedly agree with me once they have had a taste of that tongue of yours."

"Now… that is a compliment," Ciel mocked as he bend down. "See, it isn't that hard."

"Shut up and suck me already," Sebastian cursed, placing his hand on the back of Ciel's head and pushing it down towards his painfully throbbing erection. Ciel smirked and said alright already before dragging his tongue over the clad bulge.

Sebastian picked his smoke up and was tormented by the slow approach Ciel chose to satisfy his growing needs. He huffed out some smoke and felt his longing intensify while gazing down on the tongue that tauntingly licked up his clad dick and the lidded blue eye that shimmered with seduction and sex. He groaned with newfound arousal when Ciel sank his teeth into the band of his grey boxers and tugged them down.

Ciel licked his lips, not knowing how teasingly provoking that minor gesture was to the horny older male and the minute Ciel's lips closed around the precum leaking head of the dick, Sebastian jerked his hips up and forced the length of the thick cock down the younger male's throat.

"Fuck," he grunted and let the cigarette hang loosely between his lips while he placed a hand on the back of Ciel's head, forcefully holding him in place and brushed the navy locks out of the younger male's face to see the lusty surprise in the blue eye.

Sebastian fucked his mouth hard, and Ciel let him. Even if he gagged and became a little dizzy from the erratic breaths he had to draw through his nose, Ciel loved the violence with which Sebastian thrusted his dick into his mouth. He heard Sebastian moan guttural moans and suck air through his teeth.

"Fuck, Ciel… shit," Sebastian grunted, sucking on his lip while he watch his dick slam in and out of the willing mouth. "You're so fucking submissive," he groaned, grabbing a fistful of the navy locks and pushing the younger male's head down on his erection until the lips touched the base of his cock.

"Damnit – ah…" Sebastian clenched his jaw and briefly closed his eyes when Ciel reached up and massaged his balls, gently tugging at them and rubbing the saliva that trickled from his mouth over the sensitive skin. It made the older male slam harder into the warm mouth, forcing his cock so far up Ciel's throat it made the younger male gag some more.

Sebastian's eyes popped open when he heard the muffled gagging noises that up till now had fell to deaf ears. He instantly released the pressure on Ciel's head and let the younger male bob up to catch a much needed breath. Popping the dick out of his mouth, Ciel coughed loud and hard, anxiously drawing deep breaths.

"I'm sorry," Sebastian whispered while he extinguished his cigarette, leaned forward and cupped Ciel's chin. "Fuck, Ciel – I am so sorry," he kissed the swollen lips carefully and wiped a tear from the corner of the younger male's eye. "Are you alright?"

Ciel rolled his eye up and wiped a dribble of saliva from his chin. "Are you shitting me? Why did you fucking stop?"

Sebastian's pupils dilated for a second and shock clear as day was written all over his face. Ciel chuckled at it and leaned in.

"I like it when you're rough," he whispered, brushing his lips over Sebastian's. "It turns me on seeing that wrenched lust on your face when you're trying to hold back," he murmured before grabbing a fistful of hair at the base of Sebastian's neck and tipping his head back, Ciel sat up on his knees and gazed down in the baffled eyes. "So stop holding back. I can fucking take it," he told the lips and made Sebastian gasp when he reached down and pressed a finger against the older male's twitching hole. "All of it," he finished and grinned satisfied at the complete surprise and bothered grunt that welled up in Sebastian's chest when Ciel pushed his finger inside him. Ciel angled his head and grazed his lips over Sebastian's ear. "So, lay down and fuck my mouth in the rhythm I finger fuck you."

Sebastian obeyed and fell back into the pillow. His eyes met Ciel's and the moment Ciel's lips closed around the head of his dick again, Sebastian jerked his hips up and forced the younger man's head down. He growled and cursed hard at the sensation of the wet tongue that licked his shaft and the warm mouth that confidently sucked his dick. He wasn't entirely sure if this masochist side was a remnant of Ciel's wilder period, or even if he should find it a little disturbing or not, but for the moment, it worked and soon he felt his orgasm dawning on him, sending tiny electric shocks through his legs and pelvic area.

Syncing his thrusts with the prodding of Ciel's finger, Sebastian looked Ciel in the eye while he came, spurting his cum deep into the younger male's throat. He could feel Ciel swallow it all as the younger male slowly bobbed up the dick and licked the last pearls of semen from the slit. Staring directly into Sebastian's eyes, Ciel propped up on his hands and knees and nearly begged the older male to fuck him hard.

Standing up, Sebastian shed himself of the remainder of his clothing and rounded the bed. Not bothering with undressing Ciel completely, Sebastian told him to drop his pants while he watched and rubbed his semi erected cock back to life again. Preparation was forgotten and digging his fingertips into the soft flesh of Ciel's hips, Sebastian harshly drove his cock inside the tight ass and felt it growing and stiffening with every thrust.

Words of affection or appreciation about the fantastic blowjob Ciel had given him were not bothered with as he showed the younger male his gratitude by fucking him hard, prodding the prostate with every well-aimed thrust and telling him to scream his name louder. The bed creaked under the rough force of the screw and the headboard banged against the wall in sync with Sebastian's flesh slamming against Ciel's.

They ignored the loud banging on the door and a drunk Bard who screamed and slurred for them that it was only fucking seven in the morning and they needed to get a room. Eventually, Claude walked in and told them in his usual stoic expression that they either needed to tone it the fuck down or let Alois join because their grunting made the blonde horny and Claude was too tired to fuck. Even then, Sebastian kept slamming into the wildly moaning Ciel, ordering him to scream his name even louder.

With every pleading fuck me harder that left Ciel's lips, Sebastian couldn't help but wonder how many men he had begged to do that. Holding the perfectly smooth skin, he asked himself how many filthy perverts had tarnished it with their feeble attempts. It made him angry to know that people had taken advantage of this young man that came to stand so close to him, that penetrated his shield and conquered a dominant position in his heart and mind. Thinking those thoughts to himself, he was shocked to realize that for the first time in years, the type of closeness Ciel demanded of him did not frighten him – it did not repel him like it used to. He found that little by little, he wanted to know more about Ciel and that idea made his throat run dry and his heart slam hard against his rib case.

Ciel groaned disapproving when Sebastian suddenly pulled out of him. Before he could whine about it, the older male had sank down on the mattress, had bend down and Ciel cried out his name and clenched the sheet when Sebastian briefly lapped at his hole before pushing his dick inside again in one smooth thrust.

With underlying possessiveness, Sebastian wrapped an arm around Ciel's waist and pulled the near to fatigue body against his chest. Jerking Ciel off and fucking him at the same time, Sebastian made him promise that he would never let another man but him touch him again, that he was his. Promising that, Ciel came and shot his semen all over the freshly washed sheets. He reached around, grabbing a fistful of Sebastian's raven locks and tugged at them while grunting and moaning loud. In his arousal, the words left his lips so carelessly that he later would wonder if he had said them at all.

"I love you," he whispered and repeated them once more after Sebastian had come inside his ass and angled the younger male's head to look him in the eye.

"I love you, Sebastian."

A caring smile was all he got in response, followed by a kiss that was anything but hastily. Ciel took it and was already more than glad he didn't get shoved away or scowled at. Beaten, they fell into the mattress, Sebastian's body covering his and his heaving chest rising and falling against Ciel's back. The last thing Ciel saw before falling asleep was Sebastian's hand that covered his and the slender fingers that entangled with his own.

* * *

Waking up an undefined amount of time later that day, the weight that had lay on top of him when he fell asleep was gone. Ciel jolted up and called Sebastian's name.

"Yes?"

He whirled around and exhaled relieved when he saw the raven haired male. His hair was still dripping from the shower he took moments ago and Ciel was disappointed that he hadn't awoken him up to join him.

"How did you sleep?" Sebastian asked, genuine interest in his voice and eyes.

Ciel pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around them. "Good enough, although it felt like a sperm whale was weighing down on me."

Sebastian barked a laugh at the comparison and tossed his bangs. Ciel watched him through the corner of his eye and arched a brow at him.

"Do you always iron your clothes without a shirt on?"

Putting the iron down and turning it off, Sebastian took the smoke from his lips and huffing out a cloud of tobacco, he extinguished it in the copper ashtray he had now placed on the edge on the ironing board.

"All the time," he told him with a wink while carefully peeling the ironed dress shirt from the board and putting it on. "You like it?" He asked while buttoning up his shirt and walking over to the bed.

"I don't really care for it," Ciel shrugged, placing his chin on his knees. "What I do care for is why you didn't wake me to take a shower together."

Sebastian sank down on the mattress and mimicked Ciel's pout before chuckling and leaning in to kiss the puckered lips. "Because you were sleeping so peacefully," he told him and grabbed the grey tailored vest he had laid out on the foot of the bed. "I figured you could use it."

Ciel snorted and rolled his eye. "How considered of you, but I could've used a good screw in the shower as well. So next time, wake me, period."

Sebastian raised his hands in defense and smiled. "Very well. Your wish is my command, my Lord."

"Good," Ciel mused. "Now kiss me," he grabbed the freshly ironed shirt and pulled a chuckling Sebastian in for a leisurely kiss. "Where are you going all dressed up anyway?" He asked in the kiss. With a soft smack, their lips detached and Sebastian took this opportunity to stand and straighten his collar.

"An appointment, nothing out of the ordinary," he said while walking to his closet and putting on some aftershave. Ciel watched him check himself out in the mirror for a split second before he sank down into the comfortable armchair near the window and put on his shoes.

"Aren't you a bit overdressed for an ordinary appointment?" The younger male quipped irritated, hearing the jealousy that was laced through his voice. Sebastian sighed, pushed himself up and walked to the bed.

"It really is just an ordinary appointment," he promised. "With a woman," he added to ease Ciel's worry a little more. The younger male huffed and rolled his eye.

"That never stopped you before," he raised his arm and rubbed the fourth finger on his left hand with his thumb. "You were engaged to one, remember?"

Sebastian groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "That is completely irrelevant right now. This is a business related appointment – not with Angela," he added quickly when he saw Ciel's eye widen in shock. "And I will be back soon."

"What the hell am I supposed to do here while you're gone," Ciel spread his arms, indicating he meant the exact same spot he was sitting at. Sebastian leaned in, pushed his hands underneath Ciel's jaw and placed his lips against the pouting mouth.

"You stay here and relax a little in bed," he began and pecked the lips. "I will be back in two hours at most," he continued, followed by another gentle peck. "And I will bring you breakfast in bed," he finished and placed a longer kiss on the puckered lips.

"Will you do it shirtless?" Ciel asked and grinned cheekily against Sebastian's mouth. The older male chuckled and breathed a naturally before kissing him goodbye. Reluctantly, Ciel watched him leave and he fell back into the pillows with a loud grunt, wondering to himself why Sebastian hadn't even bothered to mention the _I love you_ he had so stupidly slipped into the sex.

"Useless ass," Ciel cursed to himself and turned his head to the left. He caressed the back of his hand over the pillow Sebastian had slept on last night, rolled onto his stomach and hugged it tightly. Nuzzling his nose in it, he inhaled the strong scent of Sebastian mixed with sex and sighed delighted.

"He'll be back," he spoke out loud, and repeated it several times to convince himself. When sleep stayed out, he got up to take a shower but decided against it, not wanting to lose the incredible scent of sex and Sebastian that lingered on his skin. He grabbed the book that lay on top of the pile on the nightstand and lost himself in reading about a post world war two story about an impossible relationship he could strangely enough relate to.

* * *

The dull buzz of the door made Anne look up from the forms she was filling out at the reception. She smiled surprised, put her pen down and slowly rose to her feet.

"Sebastian," she breathed, taking the glasses off the tip of her nose and hooking one of the legs behind the collar of her red summer dress. "What a lovely surprise."

He offered her a kind smile while his eyes nervously shot left and right as if to make sure the waiting area was deserted. He stepped forward, pushed his sunglasses in his hair and leaned on the counter.

"Can we talk?"

"Well, I actually have a client coming in about half an hour and I still have to fill out these forms and contact her usual doctor and…"

"It is important."

The penetrating crimson eyes easily convinced Madame Red and she raised her hand to the door of her office. "Entrer, s'il vous plaît." Not wavering, the male marched into the room, followed closely by the red doctor.

Sebastian swallowed anxiously and whirled around on his heels when Anne closed the door. She chuckled gently at his jumpiness and walked to her desk. "Please, have a seat," she said while walking to her private fridge. "Can I offer you a drink of water? Juice maybe?"

"Anything will do," Sebastian sighed while sinking down on the black leather couch. Anne straightened her back and studied the raven haired male for a brief moment. With his head tipped backwards on the back of the couch and his brows mashed together in a worried frown, he looked like a mess. So, she turned on her heels and opened her secret drawer.

Sebastian heard the clinking of crystal and opened an eye when he heard her voice say here. Anne held out a glass with a lemon scented drink. You look like you need it, she added with a kind smile.

"Thank you," he said while taking it from her hands.

Anne waved it away, walked to her desk and sat on the edge of it. Crossing her arms and legs, she gazed at the younger male that threw the limoncello back like it was lemonade.

"So, what can I do you for?" She began, walking back over and refilling his glass and her own while walking back to her desk and hopping back onto it. Sebastian leaned forward and twirled the glass between the palms of his hands.

"Yesterday, after the Opry concert, Ciel threw a tantrum and yelled at me."

"Oh," Anne raised an eyebrow and sipped at her drink. "What was said tantrum about?"

"He yelled at me that I only use him for sex. That I don't let him into my life and every time he thinks he is closer to me, that someone else comes by who knows more about me than he does and it is driving him insane."

Anne puckered her lips and nodded. "Well, that seems about right. So, he finally summoned the courage to confront you about it? That is a lot sooner than I had expected."

Sebastian snapped his head up and blinked surprised at her. "What do you mean a lot sooner? You knew about this?"

"Of course I knew about this," she huffed. "What do you suppose we talk about when he comes to my office? The weather?! Please, Sebastian, you must know better than that. But pray tell, what happened after he told you tell that? How did it make you feel?"

For now, Sebastian swallowed the fact that he let Ciel fuck him on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry and looked up at the red head.

"I don't know… it made me feel so angry. I don't just use him for sex, not at all – I really enjoy his company and he became a close friend of mine. It irked me to hear that he thought so little of me, that I would stoop so low to just see him as some fuck buddy, because he should know that he is so much more. I," Sebastian chewed on his lip and took a sip of the refreshing liquor for courage. "I felt a painful twinge in my chest, hearing him say those words and seeing him like that, crying. I hated it… I hated it so fucking much and all I wanted to do was will his pain away."

Anne felt a smile curl her lips and knew by looking at the confused young man that her nephew was a whole deal more to him than just sex.

"Did you tell him that?"

"No."

"Then what did you do?"

Sebastian stared long and hard at the yellow drink in the crystal glass. After she asked him again, he sucked air into his lungs and told her in one heavy breath.

"I let him fuck me on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry," he admitted to his shame. Anne choked on the sip she had taken and coughed loudly while slamming her chest.

"You what?!"

Sebastian dropped his chin to his chest and was about to repeat it again until she stopped him, groaned and slammed a hand at her forehead.

"That just got me angry, hot and bothered, all at the same time. My nephew is getting some at the stage of our country's biggest live country show and I cannot even get a man to come home with me," she muttered annoyed and refilled her glass to the rim.

"Sorry," Sebastian muttered, somehow feeling the need to apologize for something that was completely out of his hands. Anne waved it away and took a large sip of her drink. Before she could continue, the dull buzz in the waiting room and the chirping voice announced the return of her receptionist from her cigarette break. Anne called the front desk and told Irene to cancel all her patients and go home before she turned to look at Sebastian again.

"Did you honestly think that was the right course of action after what Ciel told you?"

"No," Sebastian admitted shamefully. "But I couldn't think of anything else."

"You could've told him what you just told me, that you do care about him and that you don't see him as a… fuck buddy," she added after clearing her throat.

Sebastian sighed and nodded. "I know… but somehow, I cannot tell him that. I honestly did not know he felt that way because if I had known that, I would've let him know that isn't true a long time ago. I thought he knew he meant so much more to me than just a fuck buddy."

Anne sighed, hopped off her desk and walked to the couch, glass in one hand and the bottle in the other. Sinking down next to the hunched over male, she refilled his by now empty glass again and filled up her own half empty glass as well.

"Your anxiousness speaks for you. When I first met you, I thought you were a most collected and mysterious man who knew what he wanted and never lost his marbles. But now," she cupped his chin and angled his head so she could look him in the eye. "I can see that you density and innocence about the entire matter is genuine. You really had no idea, did you?"

"Of course not, I wouldn't lie about that. I know he said he loved me and that I forgot about that but honestly, I never knew how he felt about our friendship… our relationship."

Anne nodded and offered him a smile. "For such a collected and mature male to show me his true self. To society, you come off as this well together man, but emotionally, you are still that little boy that got rejected by his parents."

Sebastian's eyes widened for a moment and before he even bothered to ask how she knew about that, Anne explained that Rachel had told her.

"Even though you try to convince others that your parents not accepting you for who you were did not affect you, it did harm you. It created this emotional blockage in which you only trust one person with your life, and that person is not Ciel. It is that stoic friend of yours, the one who stood by you from the moment your parents rejected you and who accepted you for who you were."

Sebastian breathed a laugh and studied his hands. "I do trust Claude with my life," he admitted and reached into his pants to retrieve his vibrating phone. Gazing at the number, he ignored it and put the mobile in his pocket.

"Exactly. He knows everything about you and he is the only person you trust enough to let him see all your colors. But, you must try to realize that there are more persons who you can show your true self. More people who will accept you and want to be a part of everything you do. Who will be there when you break down, who will stand by you when you need it, and Ciel is such a person…" Anne stopped talking and gazed up with a far off look. "You know, after the accident, Ciel changed drastically. Before that, he was much like you, collected and rational. Someone who knew what he wanted and how to get there. After, he had a hard time putting faith in people and he turned his back on love because it could only hurt him. Even when he was with Will, he wasn't entirely into committing to him, but with you… he opened himself up entirely and is anxiously searching your approval, much like you are searching for approval and acceptance as well. You two are alike, and I am sure you can help one another, if only you will allow him to see your true colors and let him into your life."

Sebastian swallowed and turned his gaze to the drink. "I'm not sure how to do that."

"You want him to get to know the real you."

"I do… hell, if I hadn't, I wouldn't have let him fuck me."

Anne sucked on her bottom lip and shook her head to rid it from the images of a naked Vincent grinding against her. "So, you let him have you because you want to be with him."

"I guess so… it is the only way I could think of to express myself without speaking the actual words. I'd rather submit to him that way than having to say my feelings out loud. Somehow, my body refuses to channel those words once I am with him."

"What happened after you… submitted to him?"

"We went back to my house and fell asleep on top off the blankets, both fully dressed," Sebastian smiled at the memory of feeling Ciel's calm breathing against his chest. "It felt good, no, what is the word I am looking for… natural? Yes, it felt natural and unforced and that was nice."

"That is so sweet," Red cooed, palming her cheek. "That is also a way of expressing your true feelings towards him, not having sex before falling asleep. Where is the little dear now?"

"In my bed, sleeping off the rough sex we had this morning."

The corner of Red's mouth twitched and she smacked a hand at her forehead. "You two really are going at it like fucking jackrabbits, aren't you?"

Sebastian breathed a grin. "Yeah… I suppose so."

Red snapped an accusing finger at him. "Wipe that sheepish grin off your face when you're talking about screwing my nephew in the ass."

He raised his hands in defense and chuckled an apology. After, they sat in silence for a few moments until Sebastian broke it.

"He told me he loved me again this morning."

"And how did you respond?"

"I didn't really respond. I smiled and kissed him."

Anne turned her head and gazed at his handsome profile.

"Ask me that question?"

"What question?" Sebastian asked, fully aware of what she meant.

"If you should tell him that you are truly, madly, deeply and utterly in love with him. That you are so devoted to him, you even went to see his aunt to talk about your feelings."

Sebastian wrinkled his nose at the word devoted and breathed a laugh before gazing up at her from below.

"You think I should tell him?"

Anne squealed when he subtly admitted that he loved her nephew and she, in her slightly tipsy state, surprised him with a very tight and squeezing hug. "Yes – oh dear me, yes. Tell him."

Sebastian chuckled again, threw his drink back and stood. "Thank you for listening to me and giving me your thoughts. I should get back now."

Anne clapped her hands and sang Sebastian loves Ciel while she walked him to the door. The raven haired male yanked it open and glowered at the person who tumbled into the room with a girlish shriek.

"Are you prone to eavesdropping?" Sebastian sighed annoyed.

Grell groveled at his feet and looked up at him with a loving smile. "Oh Bassy, if only I had know you were here earlier," he got to his feet and wiggled his ass that was clad in tiny red hot pants. "I would've dressed more properly and put on my makeup. I would've put on my red lipstick that tastes like strawberries, so that when kissed and you used a little tongue, my lips would taste refreshingly sweet."

Sebastian mashed his brows together and reached into his pocket to retrieve his vibrating IPhone. "I do not know what you're talking about, but I can in fact confirm that I have licked strawberry tasting lips before, on numerous occasions."

While Grell cupped his cheeks and bursted into squealing and moaning, Sebastian answered his phone.

"What do you want, Faustus?"

"_Vincent just called me to confirm that the cd has been completed and is ready for production. The first batch should be ready a day from tomorrow._"

"Splendid," Sebastian grinned and easily avoided Grell who hurled himself at him and ignored the crash behind him when the red head slammed into the desk.

"_He set the date of the release party in three days and he is inviting all the important names in the country business. It's at their estate and Rachel is going to organize and plan most of it so we need not worry about it. We made it, just in time for the competition._"

Sebastian chuckled at the hidden enthusiasm that was laced through Claude's voice and instantly accepted his invitation to have a drink with him and Alois in the pub, the promise he made to Ciel slipping his slightly hazy mind.

"I'll be there in ten minutes. Have the Guinness ready when I get there. This is fucking amazing news, Claude. We're getting back up there."

"_Of course we are. I never doubted that. See you in ten, Michaelis,_" and with that, Claude hung up.

Sebastian turned to Anne and made her squeal when he lifted her off her feet and excitedly twirled her around. Putting her back down, he kissed her cheek and thanked her again for the conversation before leaving the office and his good intention to tell Ciel his true feelings behind

* * *

GAH! Yes, you are allowed to fangirl over this - hahaha.. I am not prone to do that, but - I understand if the fluff became too much. I did have a minor nosebleed over the blowjob scene... see, Julie dearest, that was especially for you and I hope Sebastian fucked Ciel's mouth good. Give a nice review on this one, baby and I will sex you up some more hahaha.

Ok, not much predicament here, only a forecast of woe that this _might _turn out for the worst. You'll have to wait and review vigorously to find out what will happen next on Motivate Me. Oh, I have uploaded a picture I am working on my deviant of our fine young men. An adult Alois! I squealed (only a little... Sean and I will rule the world with Alois's newfound sexiness) I'll put my ID name down here. Going to said deviant ID, you can see my struggle to draw all four of them, altered to the age they have in MM.

Still anxious and excited to receive fan art - so do grace me with both that and nice, long reviews. That was all for now, my sweet hummingbirds. Spelling check will follow once I watched some Law & Order, SVU. I am out!

**Deviant ID: **parisvanbarnett . deviantart


	25. Act 89

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

Alright, I have seriously little to nothing to add here. Just a simple, thank you for the reviews and I hope that those who are so generously willing to draw me fanart, will share that link with me or send it to my mail address which is; sebastianwilde00. It is a gmail account.

Also, I was thinking about making a facebook for the Funtom Company, updating facts and fanart and such at that. Would love to know your thoughts about that. One last note; I have JM singing London Bridge if Falling down as my ringtone, I am the happiest not-so okuta on planet earth, thanks peanut!

For now, enjoy!

O.

* * *

Ciel sniffled, and sniffled some more while he wiped at his eye. Unnoticed, time had passed and he was a good way into the book he snatched from the top of the pile on Sebastian's nightstand. It was nerve wrecking and even when he went down to get some juice, he couldn't unglue his eye from the intriguing pages. He screamed at Hanna and he cried for Michael. Even if it was a post world war two epic love tragedy and she had been an analphabetic ex-Nazi and he was an inexperienced and innocent green leaf, he couldn't help but identify himself with Michael and the struggle he had to become part of Hanna's life.

When his phone rang the first time, it fell to deaf ears. The second time, he just decided to ignore it but the third time, he groaned annoyed and jammed his hand into his pants. Frowning at the number, he dragged his thumb over the touchscreen and placed the mobile against his ear.

"William?"

"_Ciel? Are you ok?_" The voice of his ex sounded sincerely worried at first.

"Yes," Ciel sniffled and wiped his nose at his sleeve. "I am fine."

"_No, you're not – you are crying. What did that bastard do to you?_" And now, worry had switched to hostility as he spat the word bastard and meant Sebastian by it.

"Ha ha. It is nothing William, Sebastian isn't even here. I'm just reading this book and it is so good! Perhaps you heard of it, it's called the reader by some German guy named Bernard Schlink. It's about a post world war two love tragedy and…"

Ciel ranted an incoherent story and read some of his favorite passages to William and the older male just listened to him, patiently waiting for the younger male to finish his disjointed explanation.

"_That sounds interesting._"

"No it doesn't," Ciel chuckled while he put the book down. "You're lying through your teeth because you know I suck at retelling stories. But, thanks for trying anyway."

William chuckled which made Ciel smile. The navy haired male sank back in the pillow he had propped up against the headboard and put a hand behind his head. "So, what's up?"

"_I don't know_," Ciel heard him shift in his seat. "_I am sitting at our regular table in the Blues City café and that made me think of you. So, I was wondering if you'd like to grab that cup of coffee right now._"

Ciel chewed his lip and felt his mouth water when he thought about the seafood gumbo he and William used to get when they couldn't sleep. He threw a glance sideways at the illuminated blue numbers on Sebastian's alarm clock.

"_Ciel?_"

"I actually have another appointment scheduled today. How about sometime next week?"

William breathed a laugh. "_Alright, it was rather last minute to sprain this on you. I was just sitting here, recalling memories and that sounds awfully sentimental, ha ha… Look, I'll call you sometime next week. Give Sebastian my regards._"

Ciel hummed, said his goodbye and stared at the phone for a good three minutes before pressing speed dial. It had been nearly an hour since Sebastian had left and he was growing impatient to see him. The phone kept ringing and when an answer stayed out, Ciel canceled the call and redialed.

"William? Yeah, it's Ciel. It looks like my appointment fell through. I'll meet you at the café in an hour. Order me some gumbo in fifty minutes."

He jumped into the shower and after quick look out the window, he pulled a clean blue sweater from Sebastian's closet and pulled it over his white dress shirt. He adjusted the collar of the shirt and left the top buttons undo, showing one of the red marks Sebastian had left on his collarbone. After hesitating for a moment, he splashed some of Sebastian's cologne on his throat, ran a hand through his hair and walked out.

"Good morning," he chirped happily and made Alois chuckle by ruffling the blonde's hair as he passed him on his way to the kitchen counter. Claude's eyes briefly looked at him over the rim of his paper and he acknowledge his presence with a short nod.

"From what I heard, you had a _very _good morning," Alois mused, putting his elbows on the dining table and lacing his fingers together under his chin. "Sounded like Sebastian reclaimed his rightful position as dominant male in your relationship. How was it?"

Ciel stopped in his trail and slowly turned to the blonde, his brows mashed together and his expression faking ignorance.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Alois stirred his straw through his chocolate milk and snapped a knowingly finger up. "I saw him limp out the door this morning and after hearing him order you to scream his name louder, I put one and two together. Impressive, I believe he hasn't even let dear Claude here anywhere near his precious asshole," the blonde flashed the raven haired male a cheeky grin and as expected, Claude simply ignored it.

Ciel grinned like a loon while he poured himself a mug of coffee, put some sugar and splashed a fine dose of cold milk in it. Walking to the table, he yelped when he stepped on the Bard the cat's tail. The black animal hissed dangerously and recoiled to the shadows near Claude's feet. The raven haired male picked him up and placed the savage creature in his lap.

"Did that mean moron step on your tail? Yes he did, didn't he?" Claude whispered while petting the animal's head. Alois rolled his eyes and tsked annoyed when they heard a steady purring rise from behind the newspaper.

"Thank goodness, at least you're not too tired to pet that vile monster," the blonde cursed.

Ciel agreed that the animal was a conniving beast by giving the blonde a short nod and sat down while staring daggers at the paper. "It's almost as if it's out to get me, staring at me with those evil twinkling eyes."

Alois nodded firmly and shared his suspicion that the black cat was secretly out to kill him and illustrated his worries by telling Ciel that he almost tripped over the dreaded thing this morning while he was walking down the stairs to get a drink of water.

"Seriously. It was still dark outside and I was standing at the top of the stairs. Suddenly, out of nowhere, that thing ran in front of my feet and I nearly tripped over it. I could grab the railing and catch my footing, but I swear, I heard it sigh with disappointment."

"You're both insane," Claude murmured from behind his paper. "Bard couldn't kill a fly, let alone a hung over blonde," he turned a page. "And you," his eyes briefly gazed at the navy haired male. "Get used to him, he comes with the Sebastian package."

Ciel twitched, snorted and muttered some curse words in his mug before taking a sip while Alois fumed on about the four legged demon.

"It hates us because we get more attention from you and Sebastian. It has been stinking and rotting with you two from the time it was a kitten and you lived in that awfully cramped dump you called an apartment up in San Francisco and now that you do not give it as much attention as you used to, it is out to eliminate the sources of its frustration."

"It is a cat, Alois," Claude spat while feeling around the table for his ringing phone. "And even though there is no doubt in my mind that it has indubitably more brain capacity than you do, I highly doubt it would waste time and energy to plot your murder," Claude reached into his pocket, easily avoided the mug Alois hurled at him and answered his phone.

Before Alois could open his mouth to snap a bitchy one liner at the older male, Claude slammed the newspaper down and jolt up, sending a hissing Bard flying through the kitchen. Alois and Ciel laughed victorious when the animal scurried out the backdoor and disappeared into the bushes.

"Are you serious, Vincent? A day from tomorrow?! That is wonderful news. Yes, they're here. I'll tell them. A release party? Sure, I think I could arrange… oh, Rachel is doing that already? Splendid. This is fantastic news, thank you for the call."

Claude hung up and beamed at the surprised blonde and navy haired male. The wide smirk on his lips almost started scare Ciel and he was relieved to see it go when Claude started to talk.

"The album is ready for production and the first batch will be released a day from tomorrow."

"AH!" Alois instantly forgot about Claude insulting him, jolted up and surprised the raven haired male with a tackle hug and a wet kiss on the cheek. For once, not even the stoic male corrected him accordingly and he just accepted the tight snuggle of his boyfriend with a wide smile slapped on his lips.

"That is superb," Alois cheered, throwing his hands in the air and hopping up and down in place. "We finished it before the competition! Ciel!" He hurled himself at the still seated navy haired male, wrapped his arms around his neck and nuzzled Ciel's throat with his nose. "This calls for a celebration! Drinks and karaoke at the Undertaker's!"

Ciel chuckled at the soft prodding of the nose and angled his head so he could look the blonde in his pale blue eyes. "Sounds good, and I'd love to come but I'll have to join you later. I have another appointment."

"Another appointment?" Alois blinked surprised at him. "What could be more important than spending time with your band mates, celebrating the release of our album with lukewarm beer, crappy and greasy American fast food and bad karaoke? Celebrating with Sebastian for crying out loud."

Ciel chewed his lip and checked his phone. Sebastian hadn't returned his call and this irked him immensely. He wanted to go and celebrate the upcoming release of their album but he also didn't want to shove the shred of personal life he had outside the band aside just to be with Sebastian.

"C'mon," Alois slapped him on the back. "Just cancel whatever boring appointment you had and come with us," he straightened his back and snapped up a finger. "I am pretty sure Sebastian would love to show you his appreciation for helping him back to the top," he added with a saucy wink.

The comment was enough to send an endless parade of sinful images through the navy haired males head but shaking them off, he decided to be decisive for once and put his foot down.

"It would be really last minute to cancel it."

Alois's expression switched from trying to convince him to nosey and he perched his hands on his hipbones when he bend forward and analyzed the somewhat irritated blush on Ciel's cheeks.

"You're meeting with another man, aren't you, you dirty little minx," Alois murmured low, a devious sparkle illuminating his pale blue eyes. "How scandalously wrong of you."

"Shut up," Ciel huffed as he crossed his arms and slumped in his seat. "It is just a cup of coffee."

Alois whistled through his teeth and stood back. "Sebastian is not going to like that you're going out to meet with your ex."

Ciel snapped his up. "What makes you think I am going to meet with William."

Alois rolled his eyes and raised his hand. "Because one, you wouldn't dream of meeting other guys while you're dating the hottest piece of ass in the whole of the United States, possibly the entire world and two, the dick asked you to have a cup of coffee with him yesterday, it's highly unlikely that you have met someone else who would invite you for coffee in the span you fucked Sebastian and he fucked you," the blonde pointed out accurately while checking his nails.

Ciel scowled and stared daggers at the wooden table. "You think you're so clever, don't you?"

"Generally, yes," Alois answered with a smile. It dropped when Claude demolished his confidence by reminding him that not too long ago he was convinced that penguins could fly through the air. Alois whirled around on his feet, murderous intent flickering through his eyes.

"It is a bird! It has wings," he screamed, flapping his arms.

Claude lazily turned a page of the newspaper. "Yes, so you probably put one and two together again, didn't you?"

Ciel bit his lip, and all that was remained from the fit of laughter that welled up in his chest was a guttural snort noise that pissed Alois off even more but resulted in the blonde spiraling out of control and fuming in Claude's ear, which was once again, easily ignored by the raven haired male.

Ciel finished his coffee, subtly shoved his chair back and nearly whispered that he was leaving. Claude gave him a short wave and Alois didn't even notice his departure while he rationalized that penguins do fly, but only through water and summoned more random facts he had learned watching animal planet one too many times.

* * *

Ciel parked his jeep two blocks from the meeting point and gave himself those meters to rethink his course of actions. Going to meet William did feel like some sort of betrayal towards Sebastian, but on the other hand, the bastard hadn't bothered to call him and it was now near to two hours ago since he had left him alone in his bed. Rounding the corner, he stopped in front of the window and gazed inside. William was sitting at their usual table, tapping his fingers against his coffee mug and staring at the floor.

"This is no good," Ciel murmured to himself, but before he could turn around and walk away, William looked up and noticed him. His stoic expression broke a little and a small smile curled his lips as he waved short at the navy haired male. Ciel reluctantly returned the wave, inhaled deep and told himself to suck it up before walking in.

"Glad you could come," William stood and clumsily pulled the shorter male into a hug. Ciel returned it, even if it felt awkward and somewhat smiled as they both sat down.

"I ordered you the gumbo," William informed him after two moments of silence. Ciel nodded and thanked him politely. More minutes of silence were shared and both males looked awfully uncomfortable.

"You look good," William finally tried to penetrate the tension. "Is that a new sweater?"

"No," Ciel touched the soft fabric and felt his heart racing. "It's Sebastian's."

"Of course it is," William responded and smiled a little at the waitress that placed two steaming bowls of gumbo in front of the two ex lovers. Ciel inhaled the scent and it reminded him of the endless nights he and William had spent sitting at this exact table but without the awkward tension.

"It is still seafood, right?"

"S-Sorry?" Ciel stuttered as he was dragged out of his trip down gumbo memory lane.

William offered him another designated reserved smile and nodded to the steaming bowl. "The gumbo, you always had the seafood kind, right?"

"Yes," Ciel chuckled and picked up his spoon. "Cannot believe you actually remembered something as random as that."

William arched an eyebrow. "It has been only three months since we last been here together," he pointed out stoically. "Besides," he laced his fingers under his chin and wavered in enjoyment as he saw Ciel's delighted expression at the first bite. "You're quite unforgettable."

The spoon stopped midway and Ciel gazed in the electric green eyes over the bite of soup. William offered him one of his signature smiles again and it reminded Ciel of how grounded and in the loop he had felt while being with the handsome raven haired male. Their relationship might not have been as passionate as what he was undergoing with Sebastian, but at least he always knew where he stood with William.

With William, Ciel had been able to control his feelings and the amounts of it he cared to share with his lover. With Sebastian, everything was erratic and twisted and his emotions spiraled out of control until his charade of I-pretend-not-to-be-in-love-with-you imploded and all his frustrations erupted in an explosion of accusations. He did not like himself when he was around Sebastian, because he felt like a lovesick and needy teenager, but he had never really cared for how he felt around William either.

"Something wrong?"

Ciel exhaled, smiled and shook his head. Once again, he was able to compose himself accordingly in the presence of William and that was a nice adaption from the whirlwind of emotions Sebastian unleashed in him.

"No Will," his lips curled into an even wider smile to hide the fact that he was now starting to wonder why he was so determined to stay with Sebastian while all the man ever did was make him lose total control and caused nothing but emotional chaos. "Everything is just fine," he finished before making a gruff noise as he shoved the spoonful into his mouth.

William smiled and picked up his mug. "Good," he mused and smiled while taking a sip of the lukewarm and sweetened coffee, entertained by the munching and delighted noises Ciel made.

Over the gumbo and two cups of coffee, the tension gradually faded to the background and memories of their past were exchanged with laughter and a slightly melancholic overtone. When they each ordered a pint of beer, Ciel felt it was time to ask him something that had been haunting his mind off and on from the moment they broke up. He sat back lazily and dragged the tip of his index finger over the rim of the glass.

"Why did you choose Aleister over me back then?"

William swallowed his sip of beer audibly, lowered the glass and wiped his lips at his napkin. "I knew this question was bound to pop up. I am amazed it took you this long to bring it up."

Ciel grinned. "You could've expected as much."

William nodded slowly and clasped both hands around his moist glass while staring intently at the golden brown liquor.

"I honestly cannot say what happened. I thought about it, on numerous occasions. I tried to tell myself that we grew apart but that just wasn't it… it was something else entirely."

Ciel mashed his brows together. "Did you figure out what it was?"

"I did," William raised the glass to his lips and took a sip. "You weren't entirely into the relationship because there wasn't enough drama."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't get me wrong. You are a very dramatic person, someone who lets his emotions and passions lead him… Ciel, you have such an enormous passion burning inside of you and I could not compliment or keep up with that in any way. I was too solid and collected for you and that drove you away."

"So you're calling me a drama queen?"

"No, not at all. Aleister is a drama queen. He can whine about a chipped nail for days. You, you need that drama to compliment your passion… your muse. Sebastian does that, apparently. As I watched you perform at the Opry, I could hear Aleister gnash his teeth because you never played with such fiery passion when you were with us. You were looking at Sebastian through the entire set and you seemed to put all your emotion into your playing. I hate to admit this, but leaving Collide was the best thing for you, career-wise."

Ciel frowned. "So, what you are saying is that you cheated on me so that I would leave the band to make a better career move? Were you really that cunning?"

William smiled and shook his head. "If only I were that selfless. I was drunk, Aleister was there – you do the math."

"Wait," Ciel squinted his eye. "You're not in a relationship with him?"

"I have some standards."

"Then why did you make me believe you were."

"Because your playing improved with leaps and jumps. Aleister thought it would be best if we made you believe we were together. However, he never expected you to up and leave like that," William smirked and sat back. "You should've seen the look on his face when Vincent announced you were starting a new band, it was priceless."

"So in the end, you did all of this for your own selfish goals?"

"Come on, Ciel… you know this was not my intention nor my plotting."

"Yes, it does have Aleister written all over it… fucking idiot," Ciel ran a hand through his hair and stared harsh at his beer. Hearing William say all these words made him wonder if Claude and Sebastian had been sharp enough to notice his improving emotional play as well. It made him question Sebastian's reasons to act so indifferently with him all over again.

"Ciel," William sat forward and the touched the hand that was clenching the pint glass. "I really never meant to hurt you. I cared for you, deeply. In fact, I still do."

Ciel hissed through his teeth and pulled his wallet. Standing, he threw some billets down and threw half of his beer back. William shoved his chair back and grabbed his wrist before he could leave without a word.

"Where are you going?"

"I need to talk to someone. Thank you for the gumbo and the nice chat. It was a real eye-opener."

"Ciel, please," William coaxed. The navy haired male just offered him a smile, told him they were ok and pulled his wrist out of the grasp.

"Come to our release party three days from now. I'm sure my mother would like to see you again sometime. She was always fairly fond of you."

William nodded. "I will, thank you for the invitation."

Ciel gave him a short nod and left. Outside, he put his collar up to shield his neck from the almost icy autumn breeze and quickly walked down the pavement. Eventually, his walking turned into running and he bumped into a few pedestrians, not bothering to excuse himself as they yelled to watch where he was going. He unlocked his car, hopped into the seat and started the engine.

* * *

The drive to his aunt's office was a fast one and he was sure he ignored a few red lights as he double parked his jeep and ran to the glass door of the office, shielding his eye with his hand from the heavy rain that had started thundering out of the black sky moments before he arrived at the practice.

Inside, he heard his aunt cackle with laughter while another familiar voice chirped some incoherent nonsense. He ignored the sign that told him to wait for the doctor to come and get him and opened the door to the office.

"Ciiieeell," Anne chirped, and hiccupped right after. Ciel frowned, getting a whiff of some lemony alcohol and cigars. He ignored it, as he also did not bother to pay attention to the flamboyant Grell who was perked up on the examination table, feet in the stirrups.

"What did you and Sebastian talk about last time he was here?"

Anne frowned, gave her legs a wobbly swing and nearly slid off the black couch as she tried to move into a sitting position. Steadying herself, she tugged at the hems of her skirt and cleared her throat.

"What do you mean?"

"I thought it was quite clear. What-did-you-and-Sebastian-discuss-when-he-was-here?" Ciel repeated himself slowly.

"You know I cannot discuss private conversations. It is confidential," Anne slurred and raised her hand in front of her mouth when she hiccupped again. "I took an oath not to counsel and tell."

"Screw that oath. Did he mention something about my guitar skills being linked to my emotions?"

"No," Anne frowned a little more as she tried to recall the conversation. "He did not talk about your guitar skills. He did however talk about your emotions," she spilled, pointing a finger at her nephew. "He talked about those _a lot_."

"What about them?" Ciel asked, growing slightly irritated and impatient with his drunk aunt. Anne just giggled and placed her raised finger against her lips.

"It is a secret. I cannot tell like I told him that you had told him that you love him and he forgot about it," she mashed her brows together and fell quiet while Ciel screamed at her that she'd better start sharing if she already broke her oath while talking to Sebastian.

"He does look a lot like Vincent too," she murmured, tears filling her eyes.

"What are you mumbling about?" Ciel grunted annoyed. He jolted when his aunt doubled over, buried her face in her hand and bawled her eyes out, sobbing his father's name.

"You know," Ciel shuddered when he heard Grell's voice purr in his ear and recoiled a little when the red head leaned on his shoulder. "Bassy did leave the office in a hurry this morning. He got a call from a handsome sounding male and left overjoyed. If he's not with you," Grell ran his finger up Ciel's neck and prodded the younger male's cheek after. "He must've gone to his other lover."

"Vincent!" Anne cried tortured, rocking back and forth slowly and clutching her stomach. Ciel looked from the one lunatic red head to the other and shook his head. He pushed Grell's arm off his shoulder and walked to his aunt.

"Aunt Anne," he squatted in front of her and took her wet cheeks in his hands. Her red eyes gazed in his blue one and she winched a little when he wiped the streaks of mascara from underneath her eyes. "Did Sebastian tell you where he went?"

She sniffled and breathed a smile. "You look so much like your father, except this," she touched his eye patch. "You have my sister's eyes. I wonder what you would've looked like if I had been your mother."

Ciel sighed and dropped his chin to his chest. "Aunt Anne, you should stop living in the past. My father did not love you like that, and he never will," he tilted his chin and looked at her horrorstruck face. For far too long he had known about his aunt's love for his father and he had always avoided telling her the truth. But now, as she looked at him, her gaze hazy from the alcohol she had consumed, he knew it was time to tell her the truth and move things along. "He loves my mother, that's why he married her. I know he would never want you to suffer over him like you do."

A bloodcurdling cry left her lips as Anne clasped her hands over her face and sobbed uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry, Ciel… I am sorry. I am so sorry, Rachel – Vincent… I am sorry," she muttered, the words muffled by her hands.

Even if Ciel felt incredibly sorry for her, he knew the alcohol was mostly to blame for her mental break down and she might've forgotten about it in the morning. Furthermore, he wanted to go and find Sebastian to try and figure out if he was putting up one hell of a show to improve Ciel's playing. So, he peeled her hands off her face and took them in his.

"Why don't I bring you to my parents so that you can sleep this off and my mother can look after you when you wake up?"

Anne just nodded, an occasional sob rolling from her lips while he helped her up and into her coat. He ignored the snappy comments from Grell about Sebastian's supposed other lover and supported his aunt to his car. Before starting the engine, he called his father and told him he'd drop by to bring Anne over. Vincent didn't need any explanations when he heard the worried tone of voice his son used and told him he'd wait at the gate.

During the ride to their estate, Anne fell asleep, muttering apologies to her sister and brother-in-law. As pre-arranged, Vincent was waiting for them by the gate and for a moment, Ciel felt a pang in his chest as he saw his father carry the unconscious Anne to the front door where his mother was waiting for them with a blanket and a worried frown. Her devotion to Vincent was even greater than his to Sebastian and it frightened him to know that he might end up like her someday, unable to let go of the past and love another.

* * *

Not exactly knowing where to start looking for him, Ciel gambled on driving to the pub and ask Claude if he had any idea where Sebastian might be. For all he knew, Sebastian might even be there, waiting for his arrival, but the words Grell had spoken to him thunder through his head and messed with his mind. Images of a faceless male exploring Sebastian's naked skin with his lips clouded his rational thinking and nearly caused an accident when he drove through a stop sign. A little shaken, he parked his car in the lot of the pub and once again shielded his eye when from the rain when he ran to the red wooden door.

Inside, he exhaled relieved when he saw the place was pretty much deserted except for some shadows in the back of the room and several people who were sitting at the bar and rooting on a male that stood on the stage and sang Jason Allen's John Boat Blues in his designated raw voice. Sebastian's eyes landed on the navy haired male and he grinned wide.

"As long as you're beside me, Ciel we can fucking rock this boat," he sang, smoothly adjusting the lyrics to his own liking again and thrusting his pelvis into the air. It made Ciel laugh, even though it also made it quite clear that Sebastian was wasted out of his mind, as were Claude and Alois.

"Ci-el," Alois chirped and hopped off his barstool. Wobbling over, trying to be seductive, he winked over his shoulder as Claude whistled the blonde on, wiggling his brows suggestively. Ciel wrinkled his nose at the strong whiff of beer and weed that rose from the blonde as Alois wrapped his arms around him and kissed him on the cheek.

"You're pissed, aren't you?" Ciel said, unnecessarily stating the obvious.

"Wahoo, thanks for pointing that out, Einstein," Alois joked and started to drag him to the bar. Sebastian rounded up the song with a if my dad was an aristocrat, I was born a countryman, and after receiving his applause, he jumped, semi tumbled off the stage and staggered over.

"There you are, baby," he murmured and surprised Ciel by kissing him harsh and long. This time, the tipsy Undertaker did not protest as hard as he normally did and just focused on pouring him a beer without spilling too much on his shoes and Bermudas.

"You're all wet," Sebastian breathed on Ciel's lips and ran his hands through the navy locks.

"It's raining outside," Ciel explained briefly. "Were you at my aunts' this morning?" He slipped in, forgetting about being subtle with the drunk. Sebastian grinned against his mouth and answered with a low yes before cutting off Ciel's speech with another hungry kiss. Their eager tongues twirled and brushed against each other and both males moaned shamelessly, nearly drowning out Seasick Steve's Walking Man, badly performed by Alois.

"I'm horny," Sebastian panted against the parted lips and once again surprised Ciel by grabbing his hand and pressing it against his clad erection. Ciel forgot about his mission to prod around in Sebastian's reasons to act with him like he did and he sucked fresh air through his teeth while he massaged the growing dick.

"I need a blowjob," Sebastian rasped. "Now," he added and pulled Ciel off the stool he sat on. Dragging him to a darker section of the pub, they were forgotten by the others as they watched with a strange fascination while Alois persistently kept on raping Seasick Steve songs.

"Can't we go to the bathroom," Ciel reasoned, his eye sliding to the shady figures that sat in the shadows on the other side of the room. Sebastian ignored his plea, told him to unbutton his pants and persistently guided the hand of the navy haired male to the buttons of his jeans.

"Sebastian," Ciel hissed, swallowing audibly. "I am not fucking joking. Can't we do this somewhere a little more secluded?"

"Geez, al-fucking-right already. I'll unbutton my own fucking pants," Sebastian groaned annoyed and with one strong tug, he unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. "Now," he grabbed Ciel's chin and forced him to look at him. "Get on your fucking boney knees and suck me."

Ciel ignored the longing throb that made his own erection jerk in his pants. "Sebastian. This is not the fucking place and time."

"I don't care for your bitchy moaning. I want you to use that gifted mouth of yours for something other than nagging."

"Everybody's watching," the younger male snapped, anxiously looking left and right and still ignoring the building sexual tension between them,

"Fuck everybody," Sebastian slurred, cupping Ciel's chin harsh and tilting his head back. "I want you to suck me off, now," he repeated in a deep growl and made Ciel moan as he dragged the tip of his tongue over the younger male's lips.

No longer able to resist him, Ciel pushed Sebastian against the wall, secluding them a little more to the shadows and dropped on his knees. He moved quickly and Sebastian groaned low and downright animalistic when he felt the warm lips close around his dick.

"Yes… fuck," he threw his head, pounding it against the wall as he placed his hand on the back of Ciel's head and slowly started to fuck his mouth. "Just like that, baby…"

Ciel closed his eye and enjoyed the thick cock that seemed to grow even harder between his parted lips. He let Sebastian fuck his mouth for a moment before he grabbed the base of the cock and bobbed up the length. Tilting his head back, he met the fiery crimson eyes and made Sebastian hiss lustfully while lapping at the leaking slit.

"You're such a fucking horny tease," Sebastian rambled, pushing the navy locks out of the lidded blue eye and biting his lip while moaning at the sight. "I could fuck your mouth every day, for the rest of my life."

Ciel kissed the head and rubbed his own impatient dick to momentarily settle his need while he smoothly jerked Sebastian off at an increasing tempo.

"Take me in your mouth again," Sebastian growled as he felt his orgasm dawn on him. "And look me in the fucking eye while I fuck your mouth hard."

Ciel followed the demands and tried to relax his throat muscles and control his breathing while Sebastian pumped in and out of him, groaning like an animal in heat.

"This is how it's fucking supposed to be. I fuck you, not the other way around, you got that, huh?" Sebastian groaned gruff and tugged hard at the navy locks, forcing Ciel to nod in agreement. "From now on, I only get to fuck your ass as I please. I will fucking get to pump into you whenever and wherever I want, because I fucking know it turns you on to have an audience… ah – fuck, stick out your tongue."

Ciel obeyed and bobbed up the dick. Sticking out his tongue, his eye never left Sebastian's as the older male jerked himself off and watched the obeying younger male at his feet through lidded eyes.

"Fuck… fuck, Ciel, you're such a fucking horny piece of fine ass… fuck," he grabbed the navy locks and grunted the younger male's name loud as he came. Ciel felt the warm semen spurt over his tongue and face and richly enjoyed the moans and grunts of Sebastian as he milked his cock and slapped it against the tongue to unload all his semen.

Dropping to his knees as well, Sebastian kissed him, exchanging saliva and sperm with the younger male. He grunted and moaned and breaking the kiss off with a sloppy smack, he licked the blushing cheeks, collecting all the spilled semen onto his tongue before kissing Ciel again.

"Fuck, you make me so horny," he mused against the parted lips. "You make me so…"

Ciel opened his eye and frowned at the blank expression on Sebastian's face. The older male gagged and slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Fuck, Sebastian," Ciel instantly forgot his arousal and cupped the older male's cheeks. "Are you alright? Are you feeling sick or something?"

Sebastian swallowed frantically, in- and exhaled long and shook his head. "N-No… I am fine," he tried to stand but nearly tumbled over. Ciel supported him and placed him against the wall while buttoning up his pants.

"I'll take you home," the younger male said in a decisive tone of voice.

"Of course not, idiot. You haven't even celebrated the release date properly. I'm fine, just go and have a beer or something."

"No," Ciel shook his head and studied the pained look in the crimson eyes. Sweat pearls rolled down Sebastian's temple and even though he tried to smile, Ciel could see the effort it took him while trying. "No," he repeated. "I'm going to bring the lot of you home. This has gotten way out of control."

"You're not my fucking mother," Sebastian quipped while pushing a hand in his hair.

"No, I am not. But, I am your chauffeur for now and I decide when enough is enough. Let's go."

"I am the dominant one in this relationship," Sebastian protested while Ciel took his arm and draped it over his shoulders as he supported the drunk male to the bar. "I get to fuck you in the arse and I get to decide whether it is enough or not."

Ciel could only smile when Sebastian confirmed their affair to be a relationship and he just ignored the older male's pointless ranting and fuming after that and asked Undertaker to help him get the others to the car. Undertaker snapped his fingers at his chef and Ronald easily peeled the falsely rasping Alois off the stage and threw him over his shoulder while Undertaker supported Claude to jeep.

Alois fell asleep instantly and Sebastian kept wildly insisting he could take another pint or two and that he wasn't that drunk while Undertaker buckled him up.

"Good luck with the lot of them," the bartender rasped in his raw voice. "'Ere," he handed Ciel the water bottles he made Ronald get. "Make sure they drink some."

"Naturally," Ciel murmured and after Undertaker had closed the passengers' door, Ciel saluted them and drove off.

* * *

With the windows open and drinking two of the three bottles of water, Claude had slightly sobered up in the half hour it took to drive to Sebastian's house. He was steady enough to carry Alois to the front door and up the stairs.

Ciel supported Sebastian to the porch where Bard was waiting to help him further along. Whispering something in the blonde's ear, Bard frowned his brows at Sebastian before looking at the navy haired male next to him.

"I think it's best if you leave," Bard told Ciel in his gruff voice. The younger male frowned and shook his head.

"The hell I am. He needs someone to take care of him."

"Let me put it this way. Sebastian wants you to leave, now."

Ciel snapped his head up to the raven haired male, but the crimson eyes seemed to avoid his gaze and stared vaguely at the hardwood floors.

"Sebastian, you need someone to look after you," Ciel argued. "I am not leaving."

"Shut the fuck up," Sebastian groaned. "I am not a kid, I can handle my own hang over. I just don't want you…" Sebastian stopped talking and inhaled sharply before continuing. "Just leave, please."

Ciel stared at him for another moment or two. When Sebastian wouldn't budge under his intense gaze, he dropped the arm and shoved him, forcing the dead weight of the drunk onto Bard.

"Fine, you fucking asshole. I'll leave," Ciel turned on his heels and didn't spare Sebastian another look as he walked out and slammed the door behind him.

Sebastian grunted, yelled for Bard to leave him the fuck alone and sank through his knees. The blonde already knew the routine and left without a word. After a minute, Sebastian heard water running in the kitchen and it had negative effects on his body.

Claude appeared at the top of the stairs in time to see Sebastian gag and finally lose his stomach contents all over his hardwood floors. The older male descended down the steps, squatted beside him and soothingly rubbed Sebastian's lower back as he threw up his food, his twelve pints and several tequila shots. He saw the tears of embarrassment and defeat in the crimson eyes as Sebastian sucked fresh air into his lungs, made a hurling noise and threw up some more beer tasting bile.

"You could've been more tactful with him," Claude told him softly, referring to the harsh brush off he gave Ciel. "He doesn't know."

"Fuck that," Sebastian rasped, and wiped his mouth at his sleeve. "I don't want him to see me like this. Not now, not ever."

"You know as well as I do that that is quite inevitable," Claude lectured him and helped him to his feet. His eyes examined the disheveled looking male and the smell of vomit and fresh urine were enough to make him gag as well.

"I cannot let him see me like this… not after…"

"Not after you let him fuck you," Claude finished for him. Sebastian clenched his jaws and just nodded. Claude sighed, grabbed his arm and supported him up the stairs.

"You're a fucking piece of work, Michaelis," he murmured. "And I am sure Phantomhive is ready to face it – all of it," he assured him and kicked the door to the master bathroom shut to start cleaning up what was left of Sebastian's pride.

* * *

Ok, had lots of things going on in this one. Feeling sorry for poor, dear Sebastian. Perhaps lifted a tiny piece of the veil for the upcoming turmoil? Who can tell? Well, I can, obviously - but I won't.

Keep those sweet and motivating reviews coming and see you in the next installment of Motivate Me.

**_Oh, dear people - please, please, please! visit my deviant. I just received a fanteam poster from the lovely Grell lady myriddin-the-cursed. It is fucking amazing and I wish I had seen her on Abunai last saturday. She was there on sunday, alas! But I am more than posititve we will meet someday soon! I fucking love it! Deviant ID: ParisvanBarnett. Thank you, my sweet, I absolutely love it, too much!_**


	26. Act 97

**WRITER'S NOTR:**

I wanted to have this out before I left for Spain. Yes, dear readers, even _I_ need a holiday every now and then. Just, give me lots of sweet and loving reviews because I took my time out of sleeping to write and update this for you all. (My plane leaves in 2 hours, see, that is how much I love you)

Not much to add, fairly short chapter but it should satisfy you all for now.

Be kind, review and do not mind the grammar... I will fix that once I get back.

Enjoy!

O.

* * *

The rain still drummed steadily out of the sky, but Ciel did not mind it as he had parked his car near the gates of the estate and slogged up the stone path to their front porch. Everything was so mixed, and nothing seemed realistic anymore. He thought he had mental issues, but it proved that he was not alone. What was wrong with Sebastian? How could he turn from dominatingly affectionate to indifferent and distant in a half hours' time.

The mud sloshed under his shoes as he walked to the wooden veranda and the rain had already soaked him to the bone.

"What are you doing home, dearest?"

He looked up, his blue eye meeting her red ones. Anne sat in one of the comfortable lounge chairs underneath the window, wrapped up in a blanket and a mug of steaming tea in her hands. She frowned at his impassive expression, stood and walked to the edge of the deck.

"You're chilly," she whispered while placing her slender hand against his cheek. "And soaked to the bone. Here," she reached out her hand and helped him onto the porch. "Take this."

Ciel buried his nose in the warm blanket she wrapped around him and let his aunt guide him to one of the chairs. Sitting down, he shivered in the drained clothes and stared apathetically at the drops that dribbled off the railing. Anne squatted in front of him and wiped a navy lock that was matted to his forehead out of his eye.

"Are you alright, dearest nephew?"

Her eyes studied his face as he gave her a short nod and a weak smile.

"I am fine, Aunt Anne. How are you doing?"

She cupped her head and groaned, it made Ciel chuckled a little.

"My head feels like a troop of elephants marched over it," she whined while straightening her back and sitting down in her own chair again. "Other than that, I am perfectly fine."

Ciel glanced sideways over the rim of the blanket. Anne watched the rain and sipped her tea. No traces of the desperation and anguish that had tortured her this afternoon showed on her porcelain-like skin.

"Aunt Anne?"

She hummed and turned her head to her nephew. "Yes, Ciel?"

His blue eye focused on a large frog that hopped carelessly through the mud puddles on their front lawn. Propping up his cheek against his knuckles, he asked his aunt if she ever thought she could love another like she loved his father.

Anne scrutinized her nephew and the depressed aura that surrounded him. "I can only hope so," she answered to all honesty.

Ciel breathed a smile and closed his eye. "Yes, that should confirm that there is no hope for me left."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"I am doomed to love that bastard for the rest of my life without him returning the same affection," Ciel hissed and cracked his eye open. "Typical," he murmured while turning his head to his aunt. "That this sort of thing seems to run in the family."

Anne mashed her brows together. "Haven't you talked to Sebastian today?"

He barked a laugh. "I sure did, and he almost literally kicked me out of his house just now, that is to say, he probably would've if he hadn't been dead drunk."

Anne hummed and slowly nodded her head. "Suppose something like that would've been inevitable when he is drunk. Although most tend to speak the truth after a glass or two."

Ciel snapped his head up and Anne yelped when he bend over and grabbed her shoulders.

"You know something, don't you? Please aunt Anne, tell me."

She swallowed when his glazed over blue eye begged him to talk to her. Ciel was at the end of his rope and tears of desperation started to spill over and dribble down his cheek.

"Please, Madame Red…" He pleaded. "Please," he sobbed and dropped his chin to his chest so that his navy bangs covered the tears that streamed down his cheeks.

Anne bit on her bottom lip and battled her inner confliction. Her oath as a doctor told her to keep quiet but her love as an aunt wanted to let Ciel know he was worrying over nothing. That Sebastian experienced a hard time expression his feelings vocally because he was never taught how. Sucking fresh air in her lungs, she decided not to care for ethics.

"I am legally bound not to talk about this," she began. Ciel tilted his head and a gleam of hope sparkled in his teary blue eye.

Before Anne could continue, the screen door slammed. Vincent seemed surprised to see his son. It did not last long and worry drew his face when he saw the tears shimmering in the blue orb.

"Ciel?" He rounded Anne's chair and stood in front of him. "Are you alright?"

The navy haired male let go of his aunt and shift in his seat. Looking up, the genuine concern in the deep brown eyes of his father became too much for him to handle.

"No dad," he whispered, his vision blurring and warm drops running down his cheek. "I am not."

Vincent's body jerked when Ciel leaned forward, tightly wrapped his arms around his father's waist and clung to his sweater. Looking down, he saw the shoulders of his son shook and he felt his tears warm and wet against his stomach. Briefly, he frowned at Anne and she offered him an encouraging smile before pointing inside and leaving the two alone.

"Ciel," Vincent whispered and placed a hand on the back of his son's head. "It's alright," he mused on as he stroke the navy locks soothingly.

"No," Ciel sobbed and shook his head, rubbing his nose against the blue cashmere of his father's sweater. "No, it is not alright at all."

Vincent grabbed Ciel's shoulders and sank down to his knees. Cupping his son's chin and tipping his head back so that he could look him in the eye, he asked him to tell him everything.

He listened, ignoring the stammering. He listened to the confusion and emotions. To the ups and the downs. He did not wrinkle his nose when Ciel told him about the times they had had sex and he did not scold or lecture him when his son told him about the time they had had sex on the stage of the Opry. He didn't frown at the random usage of the words fuck or dick and just listened attentively.

By the time Ciel had finished his story, the tears had dried and he stared slightly embarrassed at his shoes. Vincent pressed his hands under his son's jaw and looked him in the eye.

"You really like him, don't you?"

Ciel sniffled and gazed up at his father from below. "I love him, dad. I love him so much it hurts. It feels like my heart is going to burst out of my chest and I do not care. Because he can have it, all of it, but he just seems to want to stomp on it every time I think we are getting closer."

Vincent frowned and nodded. "Perhaps it is for the best if you two didn't see each other until the release party. That way, you have time to settle down and try to get your mind off it and Sebastian can straighten out his feelings and recollect his thoughts."

Ciel just nodded. He didn't have a better resolution than the one his dad offered him.

"It might best if we do not talk about this to your mother. She would only fret over it and with the party preparations, she cannot use or even handle any more stress."

Now, a tiny grin curled the navy haired male's lips when he thought about the chaotic mess his mother would always turn into when she was planning and hosting a big event. When he turned ten, she had not only managed to make several children cry with her stressed-out appearance, she had also set off the fire alarm by lightening too many candles on his birthday cake.

"This party is going to be a complete disaster," Ciel joked. Vincent chuckled and confirmed with a short nod.

"Best be out of her way. How about you come to the factory with me tomorrow and supervise the production of your album."

Ciel frowned. "I thought Claude was going to handle the production department with you."

"He was, but I'm sure he'll understand that we would like some father-son bonding time."

"Ha," Ciel spat and wrinkled his nose. "I'm not even sure Claude Faustus has any feelings at all, let alone care for those of another."

Vincent pushed himself up and raised a finger at him. "Do not take Claude too lightly. During your absence from home, he always called to let me and your mother know what you were doing. He also informed us of the growing relationship between you and Sebastian and his expressed his concern that Sebastian might end up hurting you."

Ciel's eyes widened with shock and his mouth hung open for a view moment without producing any sound.

"Claude? Claude Faustus?"

"Yes."

"He did that? For me?"

"Well basically, he did it for us. You are never around anymore and we'd also like to know what s going on in your life. Had he not called us to invite us to the Opry concert, we wouldn't have been there in the first place."

"Bullshit," Ciel exclaimed and immediately apologized when he saw the stern gaze of his father. "I told you about that. I'm sure of it."

"You didn't, Ciel. But that is ok. Your mother and I understand that this is an exciting and busy period in your life. You have your career and you are entering a phase where you are ready to commit yourself to another. We are happy for you, and Sebastian is a decent young man, when he is not drunk," he added quickly.

Ciel pushed himself up and stretched his stiff body. "I would forget about that if I were you, because that's what I'll be trying to do. From now on, work is work and there will be no sexual relations attached to that."

"Are you sure?"

Ciel nodded stout-hearted, even if he felt his heart cramp painfully at the idea of having to forget about Sebastian's touch. "It'll be hard, but in the end, it'll be better for the both of us."

"If you say so."

"I do," he walked to the door and opened the screen. For a moment, he hesitate, but turned back to his father anyway.

"Dad?"

Vincent looked up and smiled. "Yes, Ciel?"

"Thank you, for listening. I know this must be hard for you."

Vincent smiled pleasantly, walked over and stroke his son's navy locks. "You do not have to thank me, son. It is only natural and I will always be there to listen and offer advice. Remember that, ok?"

Ciel nodded with a smile.

"Good," Vincent mused and pressed a kiss on Ciel's head. "Don't you ever forget that."

"I won't."

* * *

After a long and hot shower, Ciel took a long and hard look in the mirror. His entire body was covered in red and purple marks where Sebastian had sucked on his skin. He sighed melancholic, dragged a hand through his wet locks and wrapped a towel around his hips.

"Get over yourself, idiot," he muttered and snatched a fresh towel of the heap to dry his hair with.

Walking into his room, he saw the tiny light that announced missed calls or messages blink on his IPhone. Frowning, he picked it up and moved his thumb over the screen. His heart melted and his sour temper dropped when he read one of the ten messages Sebastian had send him in the twenty minutes he had been in the shower. It weren't the most coherent or grammatical correct declarations of regret and affection, but the intention was there.

He dialed his voicemail and by the sound of his voice, Ciel could tell Sebastian had slightly sobered up. He muttered about the towels the younger male had carelessly left lying about his bathroom and the smell of him that lingered on his pillowcase. An endearing smile curled Ciel's lips when he heard the whispering falter and eventually the steady breathing of a sleeping Sebastian. He pressed cancel an recalled his voicemail again and again until he finally fell asleep as well.

* * *

The day of the party was a busy one, and Rachel barked orders left and right. Lizzy had insisted she'd come over to help which proofed to be the most horrible decision Ciel ever made. Now, not only his mother was climbing up the walls, so was Lizzy.

Even after the sweet voicemails and messages, Ciel had taken his father's advice and had kept himself from contacting Sebastian. In return, the older male hadn't tried to contact him either which irked him immensely.

Mere moments before the party started, the three other band members bothered to show up. Vincent had told him it would be for their own good not to get into Rachel's way. Ciel had seen the Cadillac pull up on the drive and he had felt his heart skip a beat and pick up speed. When Sebastian got out, a deep guttural groan of arousal and three day abstinence emitted from Ciel's lips and he wanted nothing more but to rip the grey v-neck shirt and blue cardigan off him and beg him to fuck him hard on the buffet.

Entering, Alois glide to the kitchen to see what his Rachel was up to. Claude and Sebastian rolled their eyes when they heard the excited voice of the blonde male while he cooed over some tiny adorable pastries. Vincent closed the door behind them and told them their timing couldn't have been more perfect.

When Ciel entered the hallway, three sets of eyes fell on him. Claude scrutinized the flustered cheeks with an arched eyebrow and asked Vincent if they could have a private talk about the production, giving Ciel and Sebastian some time alone before the guests arrived.

Neither quite knew how to start this conversation and each seemed to struggle with picking the right words to say. Ciel pressed his back against the wall for support while Sebastian stood in the middle of the hallway and started his anxiety tic of combing his fingers through his hair.

"He," Ciel began after several moments of awkward silence.

"He yourself," Sebastian responded and nervously dragged his digits through his hair.

Another tensed stillness befell them in which each tried to decide what kind of attitude they had to take with the other. When they spoke, they did it at the exact same time.

"I'm sorry, Ciel."

"I forgive you, Sebastian."

They blinked at each other, and laughed a little at their clumsiness. They felt like love-struck and shy teenagers and momentarily, it was actually a good thing. Finally, Sebastian took the lead and slowly started to make his way over.

Ciel felt his heartbeat rise until it seemed to throb in his very throat. His eye followed every well thought through move and he felt heat radiate from his body due to the leisure time Sebastian took to move his way and drag out the suspension. At long last, he placed his arm against the wall above Ciel's head and loomed over him.

"I am really sorry if I hurt you. That was not my intention."

"I know… you do not have to explain."

"Yes," Sebastian licked his lips. "Yes, I do need to explain, because this is important… you are important and I feel that you need to know more about me if we want to continue doing this."

Hearing those words coming from Sebastian's mouth, all Ciel could think about was those now sugared up lips kissing his. He wanted to know what the semi confession that they were indeed in a committed relationship tasted like. His demand cut Sebastian's speech short.

"Kiss me."

For a second, Sebastian was rendered dumbfounded. In the middle of his heartfelt struggle to confess something to Ciel, the younger male demanded a kiss. Even if he had rehearsed the words a million times before he drove up to the Phantomhive estate today, he knew he could never express himself like he wanted to in words. Kissing him would be the easiest resolution, but he felt like he needed to speak his mind.

"Ciel… I am trying to tell you that-"

"Please," Ciel placed his finger against the lips. "I want to know what your real affection tastes like."

Sebastian growled low at the seducing words and he wavered for a moment. But, still determined to acknowledge his devotion to the navy haired male, he stubbornly continued.

"I will kiss you in a moment, but let try to explain myself first..."

"No," Ciel took the front of the blue cardigan in his hands and reached out his neck. "Those words can wait, because I know what you want to say. I want to taste it, more than anything… please."

Sebastian's eyes dropped to the parted and panting lips. Ciel's cheeks were flustered with arousal and anticipation, he had never looked more perfect while being dressed. He licked his own lips again and they were burning to kiss Ciel's

"You are making this very hard on me, baby."

"Then let me make it easier for you," Ciel murmured and stood on his tiptoes so that he could place his lips against Sebastian's. "Kiss me."

"If you continue down the path you are treading now, I will do so much more than just kiss you," Sebastian warned. "I will not stand in for myself if you keep up this fucking seductive act. I will make passionate love to you against this wall."

Ciel grinned against the warm mouth and wrapped his arms around Sebastian's strong shoulders. "It is hardly an act. You awake this seducing side in me. The me that wants you to pin him against this wall and make love to me at the risk of others walking in."

"Ci-el," Sebastian moaned tortured and could not stop his hands from venturing up under the white shawl sweater and roaming the naked skin of his back. "Don't do this to me."

"Then give me what I want," Ciel moaned in his ear and prodded it provokingly with the tip of his tongue after. "I need you inside me… now."

No longer able to resist the younger male, Sebastian pressed and shoved him up against the wall, leaving Ciel standing on the tips of his toes. Looking him in the eye, he was so sure he could utter the only three words Ciel needed to hear but they were caught in his throat. So, he kissed him and made it so that the younger male could feel how he felt about him. He crashed his tongue with loving passion and gently sucked it into his mouth. He pressed a peck on the upper lip and repeated this with the bottom one before nibbling on it. He put every bit of passion his body possessed into making Ciel feel loved and judging by the moans of the younger male, he succeeded excellently.

With a soft smack, they ended their loving embrace and both were left breathless, their foreheads resting against each other. Panting into the other's mouth, Sebastian swallowed and summoned all his courage to speak the right words.

"Ciel… I lo-"

The persistent buzz of the doorbell cut through his confession and Sebastian nearly teleported to the other side of the hall when Rachel scurried to the front door and was followed by an chocolate sauce covered Alois.

"Are you two ready?" She asked in a gleeful voice and pushed a priggish lock back into her messy updo bun. "No monkey business while the guest are here."

"He he…" Alois sneered. "No monkey business," he repeated with a smirk and rolled his eyes to the stairs after that. "Not around the guest anyway," he added with a saucy wink.

Rachel inhaled deep, took the doorknob in her hand and opened the door. With her naturally charming smile, she welcomed the arriving guests to their home.

"Thank you," a familiar voice answered and Sebastian and Ciel exchanged a look before snapping their heads to the door. Angela smiled angelic while handing Rachel her coat.

"Sebastian," she cooed endearing and glide across the hallway. "So nice of you to invite me, come and walk with me."

Reminding her coolly that he did not invite her, his eyes pleaded Ciel to forgive him while he let the fair haired woman guide him to the living room. Alois walked over and placed a hand on the shoulder of the teeth gnashing Ciel.

"Don't worry," he comforted him. "In due time, Sebastian will be too busy talking to other _more important_ guests to be claimed by her alone."

Ciel exhaled, nodded and smiled at the blonde.

"I hope you're right."

Alois squeezed his shoulder and pointed out that he was always right, only this time, there was no Claude around to correct him and demolish his confidence. The doorbell rang again and with an excited squeal, Alois jumped with joy and clapped his hands while unnecessarily announcing the arrival of new quests.

Ciel just smiled at his cheerfulness, tried to push the thought of Angela hooking her claws into Sebastian to the back of his mind and followed him to the door to welcome the newly arrived guests.

* * *

Like I said, short chapter. I am sorry... but, be ready to be blown away by the next chapter which I will cook and write up on some sunny beach on the gold coast. Woohoo - I am ready for it and pumping. Cerveza, tapas and gorgeous men, here I come!

Be the darling people you are and review. Next, go and read my new story. It should satisfy you if you like this and TCM.

Until we meet again, my dear bumblebees.

_And one more thing, if anybody is interested, I am looking for an editor to review and correct my stories before I hand them over to JM Tatum._


	27. Act 101

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

Wrote this while sitting at the beach and gnashing my teeth at happy couples, frolicking through the surf. Perhaps not even because they seemed happy and disgustingly in-love, but probably more so that they could walk around the beach without getting horrible sun burns like I got on the first, second and third day.

Oh well... hope it'll blow you away.

O.

* * *

The entire evening seemed to drag by in a haze of humdrum social talk. Over the span of three hours, Sebastian had been hawked by countless of beneficiaries that claimed some of his time to expand on his unusual talent at such a young age. Ciel had lurked at him from a corner, completely ignoring the conversation he was supposed to take part in. Flaunting around his lover were women all dressed to impress. It irked him, immensely, even if socializing like this was for the better good of their future career. Had he had looked closer and not just with the eyes of a jealous lover, he could've seen the boredom on Sebastian's handsome face. He covered it well with a most enchanting smile, but to those who knew him better than only the mysterious and good-looking man on the outside, the ennui and lack of stimulation to act interested in his crimson eyes was clear as day.

Ciel's blue eye darted about the room. Alois was clever enough not to leave his partner out of his sight, or was it a pure coincidence that they nearly seemed glued together at the hip. The blonde gave the impression that he was richly enjoying himself, laughing and joking with everyone who wanted to hear him speak. He was charming and it would've been enough to mask the distantness of Claude, had the older male been his usual self tonight, which was not the case. Even Claude was all smiles, fake ones at that, but that was unnoticeable to the untrained eye. He easily buttered up sighing and blushing ladies and even entranced the males with his endless clever- and wittiness. It was enough to make the navy haired male a little more intrigued to get to know the several depths of the most stoic member of their band.

Lizzy had been hanging from his arm like a clinging ragdoll for a good two hours, after that, she had taken a fancy to a nice young editor and had excused herself to skulk after him under the guise of telling him all about the wonderful relationship she and Ciel had. The navy haired male had cared less because it only gave him more time to focus on not-so-subtly keeping an eye on Sebastian.

After the blonde had left, Ciel sighed wearily, and decided to treat himself to another helping of whiskey now that his mother was too occupied directing the waiters rather than pay attention to his alcohol intake. He felt a little woozy, the alcohol having its enormous effect on his fatigue body. He felt tired, and hungry, but was too busy keeping an eye on Sebastian to give into the grumbling of his stomach or the rapidly increasing intoxication of his brain.

Whenever the seductive crimson eyes looked his way, Ciel would offer Sebastian a loving smile. It was returned, although not with the same kind of passion or conviction. The stoic posture was the arctic opposite of the fiery words Sebastian had spoken to him moments before Angela swooped in and tore him away from Ciel. Bothersome as it was, the younger male could only admire his counterpart for acting the role that was divided to him. Of course, they couldn't act carelessly and in-love around their guests, but Ciel would've desired a less distant glance of his lover. As if Sebastian knew his exact thoughts, his lips curled into that smile that made Ciel weak to the knees and the subtly added wink made him growl low in the pocket of his throat. As sudden as it had appeared, it dropped again and Sebastian had sunken back into his role of affection boyfriend to Beast.

The one simple glance had been enough to give Ciel an erection that nudged irritatingly against the unforgiving tough fabric of his jeans. It twitched and jerked and made it impossible for him to think of anything else but to push Sebastian against the nearest wall and fuck him shamelessly. To keep his hands occupied and from disappearing down his pants, he poured himself another drink and with a charismatic smile and a short apology, he excused himself from the conversation and focused his attention to walk up to his lover in a straight and confident line.

As if staged, Angela swooped in again and grabbed Sebastian's arm. Reluctantly, he followed her to a more secluded area. Ciel watched them go, the manicured claws of the conniving shrew entangling with Sebastian's slender fingers. He did not pull back, probably to avoid making a scene. But in Ciel's mind, reality was mixed with alcohol and made it possible for endless horror scenario's to cloud his rational thinking.

He followed them, like an intruding parent. His lips kept forming Sebastian's name and he could only hope he didn't mumble it out loud. With more effort than should've been necessary, Ciel staggered out of the living and was just in time to see Angela close the door to his father's study.

* * *

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

Ciel turned his head. William looked dashingly handsome in a smart black suit with matching tie. Revolving his head back to the door, the younger male mumbled not really.

"Oh," William declared with little surprise. The cubes in his drink shifted and caused a clinging sound in the otherwise silent hall. He inhaled and took another step towards the navy haired male. "I had been hoping to have some of your time."

"What do you suppose they are doing in there?" Ciel wondered out loud and it seemed he was asking himself more than anyone else.

"One can only guess," William said and placed a hand on Ciel's shoulder. The body of the younger male jerked at the sudden contact and he turned his head to look at the pale and slender hand that clutched his shoulder.

"Perhaps it would be best to leave them. Marching in there and demanding an explanation like a jealous lover will do no good for neither of your reputations. Scenes as dramatic as that are best to be avoided."

Sighing, Ciel had to agree with William and he let his ex take him back to the ongoing party in the living room. For a full ten minutes, Ciel could forget about Sebastian and Angela being alone together in his father's study. He was actually quite charming now in William's presence and he could summon some wild stories of his past as a member of Collide. After that, he could only ask himself what was going on in the secluded area and the most horrifying pictures thundered through his liquored up mind, and between throwing back any liquor he could get his hands on, he expressed his worries to William.

"What is taking them so long?" He muttered and took a sip of his beer. "What is so important that they have to talk about it in private," another sip. "It's not like they really have anything to talk about… except the engagement they broke off."

He swallowed, and again and again. He took another sip of beer, and one more. Nothing helped, his throat had run dry the instant he thought about their joined past. Seeing the horror struck expression on the navy haired males face, William asked him what was wrong. Ciel couldn't answer and found he had trouble breathing.

"What if old feelings come back? What if melancholy takes over? What if she forces herself on him and he doesn't resist out of sentimental convictions?" He spoke, spilling all his terrifying thoughts as if he were alone and talking to himself.

"What are you mumbling about? Ciel…" William grabbed his shoulders and shook him. Ciel did not respond to any of it and just stared ahead. He seemed lost in his own destructive thoughts and only snapped out of it when he heard someone call Sebastian's name in a most endearing way. He gazed up and saw the handsome male enter, Angela at his side. Both were all smiles and to anyone except those who were close to him, they looked like idyllic couple. Ciel leaped and pounced forward, ready to demand an explanation. William stopped him before he could make a spectacle out of himself and Sebastian.

"Ciel," he spoke, taking his elbow and leading him away from the confronting image. "Save your tantrum for later, when nobody who can ruin your reputation is there to witness you," he advised in a concealed whisper.

"I do not give a _fuck_ about that," he snarled and tried to pull his arm out of William's tight grasp. "I need to know if he is tossing me aside for _that,_" he nodded, if a bit wobbly, vigorously to the fair haired woman that laughed a little too entertained at something Sebastian just said. Her amethyst eyes glide their way, and a gorgeous, yet sadistic smile curled her painted lips.

"That's it," Ciel snapped in a rage and put his drink down with a loud thud, liquid splashing over the rim and staining the wooden table. "Now she's done it."

"Control your temper," William said. "She's deliberately trying to provoke such a reaction. Do not give her the satisfaction of winning."

"Then what shall I do?" Ciel retorted agitated. "Because she is provoking me and frankly, she is very much winning as well."

"Here," out of ways to calm the young man down, William poured him another whiskey. And another, and another. They went down like lemonade and by the time Sebastian finally shook Angela and came over to check on the ruckus in the back of the room, Ciel was standing on the table and falsely screeching along to bad seventies disco music.

The older male watched him for a moment, not as much amused as he was annoyed that nobody had bothered to watch Ciel. The blue eye darted his way and Ciel leaped forward, screaming Sebastian, my good and brave hero.

"Ciel!"

Sebastian pounced through the circle of people that had gathered around the table and caught the young male before he fell face forward onto the floor. The navy haired male just giggled and demanded someone bring him another drink.

Sebastian pushed the rainbow wig up over Ciel's brow so that he could look him in the eye.

"I think you had more than enough for one night," Sebastian said in a concerned and loving manner, but it was too late to restore the damage his private conversation with Angela had done.

"Oh, fuck you," Ciel sniffed and pushed him away. "Go and be cosy with that stupid hag Angela. I'm sure she hasn't had enough of you."

Sebastian blinked at him, his brows elevated in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"You," Ciel waved a finger at him and prodded it against his chest after. "You and that stupid private talk you had in my father's study. Do not think I did not see you or think I am that ignorant. I know what men and women do in private and it has nothing to do with recalling old memories."

Sebastian now mashed his brows together, forgot they were in public and harshly grabbed Ciel's arm. Under loud protest, he dragged the younger male to the study, and there, he pushed him against the closed door and planted a rough kiss on his lips.

"Get off me," Ciel squirmed in the embrace and tried to push Sebastian's face away. "Cut it the fuck out. Go kiss Angela."

Sebastian slammed his hands against the door on either side of Ciel's head. Bending down, he pinned the wiggling male between his body and the wooden door.

"Do you want to know what happened here, Ciel?" He said rather than asking. "She tried to kiss me. She caught me off guard while I was talking about you and me and almost planted one on me."

For a moment, the constant resisting stopped and all Ciel could do was stare at him, speech- and breathless. His mind took a way with the words and just linked Angela to the word kiss. Sebastian opened his mouth to continue explaining but a gruff curse rolled over his tongue and he doubled over after Ciel kneed him in the groin.

"You fucking beast. You vicious and treacherous animal," he spat in a hiss. "How could you do this to me? I fucking hate you!"

Sebastian gasped for breath and tried to stand, leaning heavy into the wall.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Ciel… would you let me explain the entire story, please."

"There is nothing to explain. You kissed her," he snarled and repeated it once more, this time in a lower and slower manner to let the true meaning of the words sink in.

"I did _not_ kiss her. She tried to kiss me… fucking bastard. That fucking hurt," Sebastian groaned and palmed his painfully throbbing dick.

"It's the same fucking principal and have a good feel of that pain, it's only a shred of the agony I am feeling right now," Ciel snapped before he grabbed the doorknob and turned it.

"Ciel, wait… please," Sebastian straightened his back and winched at the stabbing tension in his sack. "I am sorry, but I wanted to be honest with you because I lo-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Ciel screamed and stomped out. He ignored Sebastian's voice that called out for him and clung to the railing to help himself up the stairs. His heart was pounding painfully against his chest and his head spun from alcohol and realization that he might've overreacted and probably should've listened to what Sebastian had to say. But did it matter, if he kissed Angela or she kissed him? Fact remained that he had been unfaithful, but unfaithful to what?

* * *

He nearly tumbled into his room and cursed at his own clumsiness. Staggering through the darkness, he fell over a disregarded pair of shoes. He climbed up, using the bed as leverage and snarled some harsh words to the innocent piece of clothing.

"There you are."

He whirled around on his heels and was a little disappointed to see William, not Sebastian standing in the doorway. The light of the hallway cast shadows on his handsome face and accented the concern on it.

"Are you alright?"

Ciel thought about it for a moment or two before he groaned that he was going to be sick, opened the balcony doors and leaned over the railing. William was by his side quickly and soothingly rubbed his back while Ciel threw up, not minding if anyone happened to pass underneath the balcony.

Wiping his mouth, he thanked William and giggled after. Turning to the older male, he leaned heavy against the railing and threw his head in his neck to gaze at the stars. William had to grab his arms before he tumbled backwards.

"It's bright out here," Ciel observed and starting reciting all the astrological signs and constellations he knew. William glanced at him from above, still holding onto his arm to keep him from tipping over the railing. An endearing smile curled his otherwise stiff lips when Ciel wrinkled his nose at his own ignorance.

"What happened with Sebastian?"

"Not much," Ciel hummed in a sing-a-song tone of voice and boosted on about his knowledge of the stars in the surprisingly clear sky.

"That is not true," William retorted calmly and dared to take a step closer to the navy haired male. "You rushed up here in such a hurry. There must've happened something that got you upset."

Ciel stared hard and long at the cobblestones that covered the floor of his balcony. In his drunken state, it all seemed like a bad memory even though Sebastian had dropped that bomb on him mere moments ago.

"They kissed," he breathed softly.

"Who kissed?" William asked with a confused frown.

"Sebastian and Angela," Ciel answered, tears blurring his vision. He had to swallow before he could continue. "She kissed him."

William's expression darkened. "Did he kiss her back?" He snipped.

"I don't know," Ciel admitted. "I didn't stick around long enough for him to explain. But, does that matter in this scenario?"

"That is good," William leaped forward and caressed Ciel's shivering cheeks in a loving manner. "That would've only given him the time to twist things to his own liking."

"Or it would've given him the opportunity to tell me that he shoved her away and told her he belonged with another," Ciel thought out loud.

William sighed and dramatically pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you even hear yourself speak? He kissed another, a woman out of all people! That should be enough to break that strong spell he seems to have over you."

Ciel did not respond to this. In his head, he was going over everything he had been through in the past month. All the joys Sebastian had given him and all the pain that had made his heart cramp in his chest. He recalled the moment Sebastian had admitted he liked him more than he lead on to believe, and for a minute, he was back in the carousel and he could hear the clockwork version of London Bridge is falling down perfectly clear.

"You love him that much?"

The personal question broke his concentration and he blinked at William. The electric green eyes did not have their usual sparkle and there was a hint of melancholy in his entire posture. Ciel breathed a laugh and nodded.

"I love him, completely. I love him so much it hurts to be with and without him."

"Do you think you could ever love _another_ that much?" Emphasizing the word, Ciel knew William meant himself by this.

"I don't know," Ciel wavered and nervously pinched his bottom lip between his teeth.

"What is so special about him? What does he have that I do not possess?"

"William," Ciel groaned in a whining tone of voice. He had never bothered to compare his ex with his current lover, because frankly, they had nothing in common except Ciel.

"Please, tell me. Maybe it is something I can work on. I know I have hurt you in the past, but I will never hurt you again, not like he does."

Ciel could only chuckle at this. William could not even begin to fathom the pain being with Sebastian had caused him. Getting cheated on by his ex lover was nothing compared to the idea of Sebastian kissing another.

"Don't bother," Ciel spoke a bit too harshly. He apologized immediately after. William frowned and dropped his chin to his chest.

"Because I could never hurt you as much as Sebastian does, right?"

Ciel was bothered by the question and even if he knew the answer, he didn't want to share it. Leading the attention away from it, he decided to try and figure out what it was that drew him to Sebastian.

"When Sebastian kisses me," he began and licked his lips. "I cannot breath. My knees buckle and I find it hard to keep standing. And he notices this and wraps his arms around me to help me keep to my feet."

William took another persistent step forwards and took the younger male's face in his hands. Too surprised by his boldness, Ciel did not turn his head away when William bend down and brushed his lips over his.

"Something like this?" He whispered before pinning Ciel's upper lip between his own.

It felt strange, and slightly uncomfortable, but Ciel was too drunk to care for it. He let the wandering tongue part his lips and he eagerly responded to the sloppy strokes. It was nice enough, but it could hardly be compared to the feeling Sebastian gave him by just pecking his parted lips.

William took the cooperation as a sign that Ciel was open to other options. He pushed him against the railing and pressed his body close to that of the younger male, pinning him down and making it impossible for him to move. Not that Ciel had had the intention of going anywhere. He saw this as a suit punishment for Sebastian's debaucherous ways.

William's erection nudged his thigh. It was a good, average size as he remembered, but it stirred nothing but a slight revulsion in the younger male. It had never stunned and satisfied him as Sebastian's long and thick cock did every time Ciel allowed himself to merely think about it.

He heard the low grunts in the pocket of William's throat. It disgusted him and made him long for the moans of Sebastian that always emitted from his perfect lips with a strange sort of grace, even when uttered during rancid sex.

The pelvis of his ex kept grinding against his, and Ciel only wished it would arouse him more than it did, but the friction did little to nothing for him, not even when William's strong hand reached down and cupped his clad dick. Still, even if it put him off more than it turned him on, he let William touch him. He let someone else's hands caress his body, like Sebastian had let Angela touch him. That was what he had said to him, right? Ciel couldn't remember anymore.

William loosened Ciel's pants and drove his hand into the younger male's boxers. Ciel felt him smirk against the tendons of his neck.

"Doesn't this feel pleasantly familiar," he growled and suck on one of the fading marks Sebastian had placed on Ciel's skin. "I always knew you'd come back to me. That bastard is no good and he never treated you right."

Ciel winched. He had never enjoyed the feeling of someone sucking on his skin. It hurt, and it left red bruises. Even so, when he looked in the mirror, he always caught himself beaming brightly and stroking the love bites Sebastian had given him. He treasured every single one of them, as if they were a sign that Sebastian had marked Ciel as his. That they belonged together and that no other may have him.

At long last, when William's right hand was cupping his balls and the left was way up his shirt, brushing his nipples, Ciel realized that he could compare William to Sebastian and that the former fell short in every way. Concluding this, he jerked his head back and shoved the older male away.

"What's wrong?" William gasped almost breathlessly.

Ciel panted, grossed out by his own weakness, disgusted by the scent of his former lover that now lingered on his clothes.

"I can't do this," he whispered hoarse.

"Can't do what?"

"Betraying Sebastian so... so…"

"So carelessly?"

Both males turned to the voice. Sebastian stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed in a most calm and casual way. His expression was unreadable but a fire flickered in his crimson eyes. It was a flame of betrayal mixed with what had to be repulsion.

Ciel leaped forward and took the explaining, but Sebastian raised his hand, palm out to stop him from speaking any further.

"I have seen enough," he spoke, his voice more arctic than he'd ever heard it himself.

"Sebastian… please, let me explain…" Ciel pleaded desperately with a fresh set of tears in his eyes.

"What for? I think it speaks for itself," he retorted and fanned out his fingers in a most random manner.

"No! No it doesn't," Ciel argued, but it fell to deaf ears. All Sebastian did was offer him a somewhat sympathetic smile before he excused himself and walked away. For a moment, Ciel stood as if nailed to the balcony. After that, a bloodcurdling cry emitted from his lips as his legs gave way and he sank to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

William had stood in the shadows, observing the two males from a safe distance. He had expected Sebastian to at least punch him in the face, but he could only be grateful the other male had reacted this mature. His eyes drooped to the miserable sobbing heap and he walked over to comfort him.

"Ciel…"

"Leave me!"

"This is a good thing," William pointed out and tried to think of reasons that didn't sound selfish. "It's better, for the both of you. This way, he cannot hurt you anymore and we can start anew," he added and gently touched the trembling shoulder.

"Just leave me the fuck alone!" Ciel cried as he slapped the good intention away. After, he took to gently rocking back and forth with his arms wrapped tightly around his body.

"But, Ciel… I..."

"Leave, damnit!" Ciel snapped and tried to shove the long legs away to emphasize his desperation for William to let him be. The older male gazed down on him, muttered some words and stepped into the room. Ciel heard the door close, and it was only after William left, he got up and rushed down to plead his case with Sebastian.

* * *

In the corner of his eye, Claude had seen Sebastian drag a drunk Ciel to Vincent's study. After a few minutes, he had seen Ciel rush out of the office and Sebastian cup his groin with a painful scowl on his face. After Sebastian had recovered from what must've been a kick to the nuts, he had gone upstairs as well. Now, he saw his best friend stomp down the steps and make his way to the front door. He had politely excused himself from the conversation to chase after his lead singer and managed to stop him in the doorway.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going? We're about to present and toast to the album."

Sebastian's bangs worked as a veil to cover his eyes, but something about his entire composure alarmed Claude instantly. Keeping a firm hold of his arm, Claude stepped around and cusped Sebastian's chin. His heart cramped painfully when he saw the look in the crimson eyes. They were empty, almost lifeless, and Claude knew something horrible had happened between Sebastian and Ciel and that this time, it wasn't Sebastian's fault for a change.

"What did he do?" He growled low, ready to go up and punch the snot out of the annoying brat if necessary.

Sebastian lowered his gaze to the floor to hide the tears that welled up in his eyes. "Just, leave it," he whispered. "It's better this way."

"No," Claude argued. "I will not leave it, not when you're like this. What the fuck did that idiot do to you?"

"Nothing that I hadn't coming," Sebastian whispered and bit down a sob. "I should've told him earlier, and now, it's too late and I'm the one to blame. It was idle hope to think he would wait for me to take my leisure time to come around."

It was the truth. They both knew that, even if it hurt Sebastian to recognize his own mistake. Claude saw no point in kicking him while he was down by telling him I told you so. Instead, he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and squeezed it encouraging. "It's never too late, Sebastian," he spoke in a gentle tone of voice he reserved for his childhood friend and Alois alone. "Everything can be mended and sorted if you want to."

"He had his tongue in another man's mouth while grinding his leg," Sebastian pointed out flatly. "And not just any other man."

"Don't tell me that…"

"Yes, William fucking T Spears," Sebastian spat venomously. "So, excuse me if I am not in the mood to mend or sort things out right now. Let alone celebrate anything at all."

Claude tugged at his arm and against better judgment, he pulled him into a tight hug, not caring if someone took a snapshot and sold it to the highest bidder who would make it revealing front page news in the morning. His friend needed it, and that was all that mattered to him at that moment.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in Sebastian's ear.

"Claude. You're scaring me," Sebastian joked a bit too cynical for his condition. Claude breathed a chuckle in his ear and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Pick you up at the Undertaker's in four?"

Sebastian smiled and briefly opened himself up to the well meant embrace. "You know me too well," he whispered. "Now, let me go before they start suspecting something and draw wrong conclusions. I cannot face him yet so I need to get the fuck out of here."

With an understanding nod, Claude stepped back and watched him take off. Moments after Sebastian had disappeared down the lane, Claude heard staggering on the stairs behind him and he cocked his head a little when he felt a soft tug at his sleeve.

Ciel panted, his cheeks flustered from intoxication and embarrassment and his eyes puffy from the crying he had been doing. "Did you see Sebastian leave?"

Claude peered down on him, his face unreadable. He was incredibly angry with the younger male. So angry that he wanted nothing more but the tackle him to the floor and punch his face in. However, with the way things had been warming up and cooling down between them and the big part Sebastian had played in that, he knew something like this would be inevitable. But still, it was more painful to see his best friend hurt like that, for he cared a whole deal less about the feelings of Ciel Phantomhive.

"He left," he said coolly. "If you chase after him now, you might still catch him," he offered in a matter-of-fact tone. After, he gave him the cold shoulder, told him he was a fucking idiot and went back to the party.

Ciel could care less for the cold shoulder Claude Faustus gave him and stumbled out of the door. He saw the raven haired male walk up to his car and as fast as his wobbly legs could carry him, he ran down the gravel. He fell about a dozen times, and when he closed in on the car, his jeans were torn and his knees and the palms of his hands were bleeding.

"Sebastian!" He slammed his hands down on the window and startled the male who had been searching his glove compartment for a smoke. His crimson eyes looked in the blue one and there was anything but loathing in them. If he wasn't mistaken, Ciel could actually see compassion for the entire situation in the orbs that always made his heart beat pick up speed. Nothing was less true and Sebastian started his car, backed up and made sharp u-turn.

"Sebastian… wait… please. Let me explain."

Ciel ran after the red Cadillac until he had to give up due to shortness of breath at the gates. The red taillights of the car drove off and after they faded between the trees, Ciel collapsed on the muddy drive and cried out his name. Everything he had feared, happened in one night, and it was his own fault entirely.

* * *

Yes, I hope that you all hated Sebastian for what he had been doing to poor Ciel and that this was something none of you had seen coming.

Let me knwo, be kind, review this and review that... Like with indebted - my true motivation and spirit is sort of lacking and I honestly hope you all like my stories enough to bring back that inspiration I had.


	28. Act 103

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

Suspension, people. This is really a builder chapter. Some Alois and Ciel time... trust that perfect little blonde to be there for his new friend. I love having Alois around, he makes things easier and somehow settles the tension.

Thank you for the reviews... I will shortly commence into a sex chapter for Indebted and The Circus. The withdrawl is having bad side effects on my body and I feel like my head is going to implode if I don't get these sadistic images out of my head.

So, keep checking your mailbox tomorrow and this Monday because chapters are in the making... and they will sneak up on you, like fucking ninja's... woohoo!

(Spelling check will follow, once my heads stops pounding and I can see straight again)

* * *

Against better judgment and after a spat with Claude about loyalty to Sebastian, Alois still decided to ignore his boyfriend's threats and went up the stairs of the Phantomhive mansion and walked down the corridor. Rachel had said it was the second door on the right. Ciel had send everybody away and his mother had begged the blonde to go up and check on him, knowing Alois wouldn't let her son send him away that easily.

He knocked, didn't await a response and opened the door.

"Ciel?" Alois felt the wall and switched the lights on. "Ciel, where are you?"

He heard water running and sniffling in the bathroom. Crossing the bedroom, he sighed frustrated when he got to the doorway and saw Ciel sit on the shower floor, gently rocking back and forth while water thundered down his back.

"Ciel," he repeated again. When he got no real answer, the blonde walked to the shower and reached for the faucet.

"D-Don't you f-f-fucking d-dare," Ciel hiccoughed. "I need to get sober so I can drive to Sebastian and make things right."

Alois mashed his brows together, sighed and crossed his arms with a condescending air. "Are you out of your mind? The water is freezing!"

"I d-don't care," the navy haired male sobbed and pulled his knees up to his chin. "I n-need to g-get sober s-so that I-I can f-fix this."

"That is fucking ridiculous, Ciel," Alois stepped back, snatched a fresh towel from the rack and turned the water off. Sinking down next to him, he wrapped the trembling male up and rubbed his cold shoulders. "Making yourself sick is not going to get things straightened out. If you need to get over to his place, which I strongly discourage, I can drive you."

"I f-fucked up, A-Alois," Ciel hiccupped and pressed his forehead against his knees to fruitlessly hide the fresh tears that rolled down his cheek.

"I know you did," the blonde confirmed without remorse. "Claude told me what happened."

"T-Then w-why are y-you h-h-here?"

Alois's gaze softened and ignoring the wet floor, he sat down next to his shivering friend with a sigh. "Because no matter how much you screwed up," he cupped Ciel's cheek and angled his head so he could look him in the eye. "It's not entirely your fault," Alois said in a compassionate tone of voice.

Ciel blinked, choked up and cried shamelessly. Alois swallowed, wrapped his arms around him and pulled the navy haired male close to his chest.

"It's ok, Ciel," he soothed and combed his fingers through the wet locks. "It's all going to be alright, I promise."

"H-How c-can you promise t-that," Ciel hiccupped. "I-I was kissing a-another man."

"I believe you were doing a hell of a lot more to another man," Alois pointed out and regretted it immediately when Ciel let out a bloodcurdling cry and slammed the blonde's chest, asking himself why.

"Come on, Ciel," Alois soothed and winched with every punch he received. "No need to play the leading lady in a bad Danielle Steel movie. We'll work this out. I know we will. Sebastian's upset, but I'm sure he cannot deny his own role in this entire ordeal."

Ciel stopped hitting him and tilted his head. "R-Really?" He sniffled. "H-How do you figure?"

Alois inhaled and held his breath for a moment as he peered into the expecting blue orb of his friend. He had no idea what Sebastian was feeling right now and if his friend would be able to forgive Ciel, but translating such destructive thoughts to his drunk friend could lead to another snot episode.

"Well," Alois narrowed his eyes and tried to find the right words. "Even though he has that history with his parents, he had no right to treat you like this. You're not made of stone, you've got feelings as well and he should've considered those while acting as lukewarm as he did."

"Y-Yeah…" Ciel sniffled and wiped his nose at the towel. "But that s-still doesn't justify m-my actions, right?"

"No, not really," Alois admitted. "But it does explain some of it."

"I s-suppose," Ciel sighed and wiped his nose at the towel again. They sat in silence for minutes at an end, Ciel sniffling while Alois combed his digits through his locks.

"Is Claude mad?"

"He is. But only a little. Even he saw this coming, sort off."

"Oh," Ciel sighed and inhaled deep. "Do you think it'll be best if I go talk to Sebastian tonight?"

"I don't think that'll be a good idea," Alois began cautious. "Perhaps you should let him sleep on it for a couple of days. He'll come to realize that this is partly his fault as well, and when he does, he'll probably contact you."

"You think so," the navy haired male sniffled in the blonde's cardigan.

In fact, Alois wasn't sure what Sebastian would do or how he would react, but that wasn't important right now. At this moment, he needed to comfort Ciel, no matter if it was true or false.

"Yes, I do," Alois lied while getting to his feet. "Come on, let's get you to bed."

"I'm not tired," Ciel argued while yawning. "I'm too tense to sleep."

"Sure you are," Alois chuckled and reached out a hand to help the navy haired male up. "Then just lay down and try. See it as a favor to me. I promise that everything will look a lot better in the morning."

Ciel grumbled he wasn't so sure about that but took the hand and let Alois help him to his feet. With the blonde's support, he wobbled to his bed and flopped down. His entire world was still spinning but momentarily he wasn't sure if it was the alcohol rather than the pain of his own folly that ensnared his heart and made it convulse painfully in his chest. The load of tonight's mistake weighed heavy on him and made it hard to breath normally.

Alois started to untie his shoes. He took them off and carefully placed them aside, making sure couldn't trip over them if he had to run to the bathroom in the middle of the night. He unzipped his pants and rolled them down, with little to help from the drunk's side.

"Come on Ciel, work a little with me," the blonde declared annoyed when the half asleep male made no attempts to get to his feet again. "We need to get those wet clothes off before you get sick."

"Nuh-" Ciel groaned and leaned heavy on Alois's shoulders. With little patience and immense effort on his part, the blonde managed to get him down to his boxers. He rolled Ciel into bed, covered him with the thick blankets and sank down on the edge of the bed to catch his breath a little.

"You're a fucking annoying drunk, you know that," Alois snarled snarky.

Ciel hummed in what Alois interpreted as agreement and placed his hands behind his head. Staring at ceiling, his fuzzy mind tried to make sense of this nights events, and he tried to determine the point where it all had gone to hell.

"I'll leave you alone," Alois spoke after moments of silence. It snapped Ciel out of his thoughts and he rolled his eye to the blonde who shifted on the bed and stood. "Try to get some sleep, Ciel," Alois advised him and lovingly brushed a lock from his forehead.

"Wait," the navy haired male grabbed the blonde's wrist before he could withdraw his hand. Alois's mashed his brows together and his pale blue eyes searched the face. Ciel pinned his bottom lip between his teeth and rolled his eye to the blonde.

"What is it, Ciel?"

Shamefully, he gave into the gnawing feeling and muttering softly, he asked if Alois would stay with him until he fell asleep. The blonde blinked at him for a moment before chuckling entertained.

"A sleepover, how exciting! Scoot over," Alois chirped while kicking his shoes off. He sank down on the mattress, sat back against the headboard and made himself comfortable with the last joint he had kept in his pocket. They didn't touch, nor did they speak much, but with the warmth radiating from the blonde's body, Ciel found he fell asleep a little more reassured.

* * *

Somewhere in the middle of the night, he heard a stifled argument. Claude and Alois were bickering over loyalty and picking side. The blonde kept insisting that they needed to serve as a mediators between the two lovers while Claude told him that they should keep their distance from the lover's spat. Ciel pretended to groan and roll over in his sleep to startle them into silence. It worked and Alois insisted he'd stay with Ciel while Claude went to check on their friend. Ciel choked up when he heard the soft smacking when the two shared a tender kiss, but he did not dare to interrupt them this time. Swallowing vigorously to hold back his tears, Ciel closed his eye again and tried to block out the loving noises. Seconds after Claude left, he felt the weight shift next to him and he felt Alois's fingers comb through his locks.

"Go back to sleep, Ciel," the blonde whispered. "Claude will look after Sebastian," he assured him while he propped up on his elbow and soothingly stroke his digits through the navy looks. Ciel wasn't sure if this was as comforting as Alois had intended but the thought that someone would make sure Sebastian was looked after calmed his nerves enough for him to fall asleep again.

That morning, Ciel woke up with a throbbing head, a turning stomach and a drooling Alois wrapped around him like a suffocating ragdoll.

"Alois," he groaned and slapped a hand over his mouth when he felt bile raise in his throat. "I have to fucking barf."

"Huh- w-what?" Alois groaned.

"I'll throw up on your head if you don't fucking move," Ciel threatened and wriggled in the tight lock the blonde had on his body. Alois snorted, untangled himself from Ciel and threw himself down on his other side. As if nothing had happened, he snored on. Ciel crawled over his friend, tumbled out of bed and crawled to the bathroom. He was just in time to hurl the contents of his stomach into the porcelain bowl. Between groans and wheezing breaths, Ciel emptied the brownish alcohol vomit into the toilet.

"Are you ok?"

Alois had gotten up and stood in the doorway, leaning against the post while he watched Ciel tremble and convulse. The navy haired male snapped his head up and snarled at him.

"You tell me, do I look fucking ok?" He barked before gagging and dropping a little more of the unruly and disgusting looking liquid into the bowl.

Alois rolled his eyes and scratched his head. "Yes, that kind of was a redundant question," he admitted and walked to the sink to get Ciel a glass of water. "Where do you keep the aspirin?"

Ciel groaned in the cabinet, curled around the bowl and placed his head on the cool tiles.

"I'll never drink again, ever," he moaned tortured.

Alois chuckled, wrinkled his noise at the brownish vomit and the rancid miasma it spread and flushed it. Putting the lid down, he sat on the toilet and offered the navy haired male the drink and medication. "We all say that after a night like you had."

"This time, I mean it," Ciel groaned while propping up on one elbow and taking the glass and aspirin. "Thanks," he huffed and placed the pill on his tongue. With some effort, he swallowed it, afraid he wouldn't keep it down long enough for the active substance to take its effect. "Oh fuck, I'm such an idiot. Sebastian will never forgive my stupid drunken rant… I fucking messed up bad, Alois. I might die from embarrassment and pain," he moaned tortured while placing his head on the cool floor again.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Alois pointed out. "But for now, why don't you grab a shower and brush your teeth. After some tea and breakfast, you'll probably feel better and we can start working on a strategy to get you and Sebastian back together."

"Talk about a fucking mission impossible," Ciel groaned and grabbed a hold of the hand Alois reached out to him. "I accused him of kissing Angela, which he didn't, and that was my entire motivation for giving into William."

"It is nothing that cannot be fixed," Alois said and smiled encouraging. "Just get clean and dressed first. You'll probably feel a whole lot better after a shower."

Ciel shook his head and palmed it after. "No. Let's leave the scheming to some other time. I just want you to go and check on Sebastian. Make sure that he's doing ok."

Alois frowned. "Are you sure about that?"

Ciel nodded and swallowed vigorously to keep the bile down. "I am. You were right last night, it's probably best if I let him be for some time. I might try calling him tonight, when my head isn't imploding anymore."

The blonde smiled and nodded slowly. "That is probably the best course of action for now. Are you going to be alright?"

"Sure," Ciel lied and waved it away. "I'll throw up a little more and crawl back into bed. I'm sure my mom is on pins and needles, awaiting to take care of me as soon as you leave my room."

Alois smirked a toothy grin, knowing Ciel was right about Rachel's urge to take care of her son. With that comforting thought, he cupped the other male's chin and tipped his head back. "Take good care of yourself, and call me if something's wrong or if you just want to talk. I won't judge because I'm on neither side, alright."

"Mhmm," Ciel hummed and forced a smile. "Thanks, Alois."

The blonde returned the smile, leaned down and pressed a kiss on Ciel's forehead. "Be ok, and no more drinking for now," he added with a wink. It made Ciel laugh at the idea and he vowed not to ever drink again.

After Alois left, Ciel lay down again and curled into a bowl on the cold tiles of the bathroom floor. Everything had taking a turn for the worst in such a short time that he found it hard to comprehend it all. His stomach turned again, but this time he was sure it wasn't as much the alcohol as it was the revulsion that was caused by his own weakness.

"Idiot," he cursed at himself and pulled his knees up. "You fucking idiot… You ruined everything."

* * *

That evening, he tried to call Sebastian only to find that his phone was switched off. He left countless of messages and voicemails, and he repeated that in the days that followed. The competition was this Friday and with everything that had went down, he wasn't even sure if they were still competing. Alois was the only one who contacted him to assure him the competition was still on and that Sebastian was doing fine under the circumstances.

To get away from the hopeless outlook and his mother's overbearing worrying and endless caring, he finally caved in and called the only other person he trusted with his love life. Lizzy and he met for coffee at a look café. It was a surprisingly bright day for the time of year so they took a seat at one of the bistro like tables outside the coffee shop.

Ciel tapped his fingers against the paper cup in front of him. He had been staring at his latte for a good ten minutes now while Lizzy went on about some boy she met at a frat party. He threw his head in his neck and watch the coloring leaves over head. It was the end of October and the competition was only four days away.

A car drove by and stirred the orange and red leaves that had already scattered down from the trees and lay motionless on the road. The wind picked them up and made them dance along the sidewalk. Ciel watched them skirt around, his hand curling around his coffee cup while the other fingered his navy locks.

"Ciel!"

He looked up at her from below. She scrutinized him intently over the rim of her red scarf, her green eyes narrowed and her eyebrows slowly knitted together in a thoughtful frown. "Did you even hear a word of what I just said?"

The navy haired male exhaled a tired sigh and propped his cheek up against his knuckles. "Not entirely, but I'm sure it had something to do with boys and parties, as usual," he retorted, significantly irritated by the blonde.

"Well excuse me," Lizzy crossed her arms and legs while tilting her head back and sticking her nose in the air. "Aren't you just a little ray of sunshine today," she quipped offended.

"I know," Ciel admitted, his eyes drooping to his lukewarm coffee. "I'm sorry, Lizzy."

She face palmed, squealed and reached forward to cup his cheeks. "You finally called me Lizzy again. I forgive you," she chirped gleefully, her hands still pressed under his jaw while she offered him a wide and excited smile.

A small smile briefly curled his lips in response and fled from his face just as quickly as it came. He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and looked her in the eye. "Can I talk to you about something."

"Sure," Lizzy sat back and brought her cup of chocolate milk to her lips. She stopped the cup mid air and lowered it. "What's with the gloomy face?"

Ciel exhaled another weary sigh and curled both his hands around his paper cup again to perceive some of the warmth that still radiated off it. "I screwed up, Lizzy."

The blonde's brows shot up in surprise. "What do you mean 'you screwed up'?"

"Do you remember the party we had for the release of the new album?"

Her face broke into a broad grin when she recalled several blurry memories form that night. "Of course I do, how could I forget?"

"Yeah," Ciel dragged his digits through his locks. "I was really drunk…"

"That would be the understatement of the century. Seriously, I didn't know you could drink that much without passing out. Do you remember when that ABBA song started to play and you slapped on a rainbow colored wig, climbed onto the table and shook your business like there was no tomorrow."

Ciel waved it away. "Let's not go there please. I still puke a little in my mouth when I think about it…" He bit on the inside of his cheek and tried to find the right words. "Well… something happened that night. Something horrible."

Lizzy frowned her brows, shoved her mug aside and reached forward to clasp her hands around his. "You can tell me, I won't judge. You know that."

The navy haired male nodded and swallowed. "You know how Sebastian and I were sort of together but not entirely."

"How you two make the most impossibly and disgustingly cute couple in denial? Yes," Lizzy giggled pleasantly at the foul look her friend shot her.

"That aside… do you remember that at some point that evening, an old girlfriend of Sebastian's showed up. Angela something."

"Yes, I vaguely recall a silver haired woman, hanging around him the entire evening. It was annoying and not to mention pathetic. It's clear that's he's in love with you."

Ciel moaned and slapped a hand over his eyes. This statement just made the guilt even worse.

"What happened, Ciel? Tell me," Lizzy pressured, finally realizing it might be something that she actually didn't want to hear.

"Well… Sebastian seemed to be so happy to see her again and they spend most of the night talking about how great a time they had together and recalling all kinds of memories."

"Are you kidding?" Lizzy exclaimed. "Didn't you see that nasty expression on his face? If for anything, he was bored and irritated and staring at you the whole time. That was until you suddenly disappeared for an undefined amount of time. What were you doing? I remember Sebastian went looking for you and I didn't see him again after that…"

Ciel sucked fresh air in his lungs, closed his eye and mentally prepared himself for a long lecture from his friend. "I did some things with William that night and Sebastian walked in on us," he spoke in one breath. When the expected moral speech failed to appear, Ciel carefully peered at the blonde through his lashes. His eye cracked open and the sound of flesh colliding with flesh ringed in his ear. He blinked for a moment, his hand slowly reaching up to his already reddening cheek.

People on the terrace around them must've heard or seen it as well. Ciel heard muted whispers and stifled laughs. At some point, he swore he could even see a flash of a camera in the corner of his eye and heard the click of a snap shot, taking hurriedly with an IPhone.

Lizzy breathed heavily, her hand still hanging in the air. She narrowed her eyes at him and gave him a look like he was something disgusting.

"L-Lizzy…" He stammered, his eye wide with incredulity.

The blonde inhaled deep, placed her hand in her lap and exhaled long and hard, her breath forming a small cloud. "I'm sorry, but you deserved that," she told him bluntly.

Ciel could only nod yes. He couldn't agree with her more.

"How could you do that to him? After what William put you through? And for what? For some girl from his past?" She snapped an accusing finger at him. "You're right, Ciel, you screwed up. You royally screwed up and I suggest you go and fix it immediately."

The navy haired male dropped his hand in his lap and stared at the fly that was caught in his coffee and desperately paddled around the light brown liquid. He found that he could actually relate to the insect because he too, felt like he was trapped and desperately paddling around to tried and find a way out.

"How do I do that, Lizzy?"

"I don't know…" The blonde threw her hands in the air in a melodramatic manner. "Buy him flowers, chocolate… a hallmark card… no, belay the last. Just," Lizzy studied the miserable heap of Ciel in front of her and could no longer be mad at him now that she saw how guilt written he was. "Look, Ciel," she leaned forward and took his hand. "Go tell him how you feel. Tell him what comes to mind, but don't try to make it his fault just because he talked to an old friend. That is probably the worst thing you could do, aside from cheating on him," she added, emphasizing his fatal error again.

Ciel cringed and he felt his heart cramp. "Are you trying to make me feel even more miserable?"

"Yes…" Lizzy admitted with a casual shrug. "Go and make it right. The longer you wait, the more time he has to think of reasons not to be with you."

"Alright…" Ciel swallowed and nodded. "I can do that…" He rose to his feet, rounded the table and bent down to press a kiss on her cheek. "Thank you Lizzy."

"You can thank me by getting him back," she said and playfully smacked Ciel on his ass, waved him off and turned back to her chocolate milk. "You should be a relationship counselor, Elizabeth Midford," she told herself in a smug tone of voice while she brought the drink to her lips.

"Lizzy."

"Ah!" She yelped involuntarily and spilled her drink over her red trench coat. She snapped her head up and glared daggers at her friend. Ciel flashed her an apologetic smile.

"Can I borrow your car? I'm sure he won't even come out when he recognizes my Jeep."

"Sure," she reached down into her purse, retrieved a set of keys with a tiny voodoo key-chain on it and threw it his way. Ciel stared at the tiny puppet for a moment before he laughed awkwardly, his eye sliding back to Lizzy. She had her arms crossed and her nose lifted in the air. Her cheeks were pink with shame but she refused to acknowledge it. Ciel opened his mouth to say something but she snapped a finger up and wagged it at him.

"Do not say a word about that. Just, fill her up when you deliver her back to me."

"Sure thing, baby," Ciel threw his own set of keys on the table and pressed another kiss on her cheek. "Thanks," he shouted while joking down the sidewalk. Lizzy rolled her eyes and halted the first employee to ask for some napkins.

Ciel sank down into the seat of the Aquarius blue Volkswagen Beetle and started the engine. He had waited long enough and had given Sebastian all the time and space he needed to think about where they were standing. Now, he needed an answer, and he was going to get it, even if he had to chain himself to the porch of Sebastian's home. With that reassuring thought, he pulled up, made a sharp u-turn and drove down the main street. At the end, he took a right and drove up north to the Michaelis residence.

* * *

Be kind and review, even if it wasn't that big of a chapter. I worked hard on it, especially the Lizzy bit (that is one blonde that literally does nothing for me and I find it extremely difficult to portray her in a manner that isn't annoying and bugging the shit out of me and everybody else)

For those who haven't read/reviewed chapter 7 of Indebted. Here is your chance... one very revealing and important chapter. I love how sadistic Sebastian can be!

Review, my pretty bizarre Dolls, review!


	29. Act 107

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

You, all of you.. I am so sorry for not updating this long, but, my sweet readers; I am back! BOOM BABY!

Man, I cannot express how much I missed each and ever single one of you. It might be hard to believe, but it has been torture, not having the right inspiration to write anything worth mentioning. I don't want to fuck up these stories, so, I took my too leisure time, and I am immensely sorry for that. I was proud being one of the authors who updated regularly and I will try to obtain that status again.

So, anybody miss me? Haha...

To let you all in on a little secret, this was spposed to be the penultimate chapter before the bombastic ending. But, when I started writing, the story took and entirely different direction and I am now certain that it will take at least another 2 to 3 chapters before I finish MM. Don't know what happened, but it happened, and I like the idea of it.

So, I hope I haven't lost too many readers... for those who stuck around, my grattitude cannot be expressed with words. Just these actions...

Enjoy!

O.

* * *

Alois turned the page of his music magazine and took a sip of coke. His eyes fleetingly scanned the pages for the latest drum set models of Ludwig and Slingerland. Normally, he would've been ecstatic about the electrifying metallic colors that were the trend for the winter collection, but at the present moment, his mind was elsewhere entirely.

Ever since Claude had hauled back a completely wasted Sebastian in the early hours of the morning after he caught Ciel cheating on him, the two hadn't moved from the exact same spot on the couch they had dropped down on. The blonde was getting sick of the sulking that normally lasted no more than a day tops. Standing, he grabbed his can of coke and went to the living room to try and put an end to the pathetic display.

Entering, he had to slap a hand over his face to ban the smell of sweat, beer and leftover Chinese food and pizza. The entire room was clad in darkness and the bundle of light that came from the television screen shone it's confronting light on the total chaos the two had made in three days' time.

Standing behind the couch, the blonde loomed over the two raven haired males that were playing a video game and didn't bother to pay any attention to the male that was tapping his foot and snorting impatiently.

"Are you two ever going to get over yourselves?" He screamed after the third minute of Sebastian and Claude totally ignoring him had passed. "This is getting ridiculous!"

Sebastian just grunted annoyed, shifted in his seat and took another sip of his foreign beer. Claude didn't even bother to make any noise and furiously pushed the buttons of his controller.

"Are you guys even listening to me?!" Alois yelled annoyed and leaned over the back of the couch to try and snatch the controller out of Claude's hand. The older male simple slugged to the side, leaning on his elbow while he cursed at the screen and snarled for the blonde to fuck off.

Insulted, Alois stood back, crossed his arms and stared daggers at the screen. After a second, he twitched and rolled his eyes to the two males on the sofa again.

"What the hell are you two playing?!"

As if the both snapped out of some sort of trance, both Sebastian and Claude blinked at the television. One look at the bright pink colors and the blonde, Sebastian snorted with laughter and Claude threw the controller at the screen, cursing loudly.

"What the fuck! Who the hell put that in there?" He bend forward and pawed through the empty game boxes on the coffee table until he found the right one. "Barbie's Wild Horse Adventures?" He snarled through gnashed teeth while turning to Alois. "Is this your idea of a joke?"

The blonde arched an eyebrow, huffed and turned his nose up. "As if your ruining your little pity party is of any damn importance to me. Besides, _you _were playing it, so what the hell are you blaming me for?"

Claude gritted his teeth and squeezed the box in his hand. "I-didn't-know-I-was-playing-it," he said slowly, emphasizing every word to accent his revulsion.

"Right, that's why you changed ponies half way through the game," Sebastian remarked sarcastically.

"Shut up!" Claude growled and threw the box to his head. Sebastian easily dodged it and flashed his friend a smug smirk. It dropped as soon as Claude started to accuse him from replacing his grand auto theft with the Barbie game.

"You fucking serious? Give me one fucking reason why the hell I would replace the Theft with that!" Sebastian snapped an accusing finger at the paused Barbie game.

"Who knows what fucking motivates you to do anything," Claude spat back.

Now turning his full attention to his best friend, Sebastian frowned and sat up. "What's that supposed to mean, huh?"

Claude stared at the coffee table, his grinding jaws and restrained expression hiding what he really wanted to blame his friend off. "Nothing," he finally uttered in a low hiss.

"It's not nothing," Sebastian shuffled forward, directing all his boiling frustration and anger towards the other male. "Don't tell me it is fucking nothing! I know that look and I want you to be fucking honest with me because I can tell when you're lying."

Claude turned in his seat and now faced Sebastian. "Alright, you want me to be fucking honest? Are you sure, because frankly, I don't think you can handle the fucking truth!"

"Try me," Sebastian answered, his voice dangerously low and his crimson eyes squeezed to slits.

Alois rolled his eyes from one to the other and from the looks on their faces, he knew this could not end well. Before he tried to make a clean cut, Claude raised a hand and stopped him. Turning his head to the blonde, his golden eyes seemed to shoot fire.

"You're not going anywhere," he hissed, his voice barely above a whisper. Alois froze in place, suppressed the sigh that welled up in his chest and just nodded. Content with the obeying posture of his partner, Claude turned to his best friend again. Sebastian's attitude seemed reluctant but Claude knew all too well that he was a ticking time bomb at the moment.

"Well," Sebastian said in a caustic tone. "Start telling me that truth that I cannot handle."

Claude frowned, exhaled and rolled his eyes up to meet the fiery crimson ones. "Well frankly, it's your fucking fault that the band might split up again."

Alois went rigid and felt the tension thicken between the two friends. He swallowed audibly, and again, but the lump in his throat, caused by the thickening silence wouldn't go away. Sebastian and Claude stared at each other, both with eyes squeezed tight and the blonde male knew this was not going to end well, for either of them.

"Really?" Sebastian finally commented after a few moments of tangible dead air. "Care to elaborate on that?"

Claude's tilted his head, causing the light of the television to reflect in his glasses. It made his expression barely readable. Only the clenching and unclenching of his jaw was a signal that he was irritated and ready to explode. "I don't, but since you seem that big of blockhead these days, I shall," Claude spat through gnashed teeth.

Alois whimpered almost inaudibly, reluctant to be present during this inevitable fit between the two friends but he knew leaving quietly was near to impossible and would only make the rage that seemed to soar through Claude's veins even worse.

After what seemed like a mandatory dramatic pause, Claude continued again.

"I told you. I fucking warned you _not_ to get involved with the Phantomhive kid, but would you listen to me? Of course not! You had to go and ignore my advice just so that you could get a good screw out of it, and look where it left us," Claude raised his hand and fanned out his fingers. "In a dark room smelling of old Chinese food and beer. For once, why couldn't you stop listening with your fucking dick and start listening to me?! We had a good thing going and you went and wrecked it, again!"

"Claude!" Alois breathed in disbelief while clutching his chest. "You honestly did not just say that!"

"I certainly did," the older male growled. "Stay the fuck out of it!"

"What?!" The blonde spat while putting his hands in his side. "You command me to stay but expect me to refrain from all comment and just automatically agree with you?"

"No," Claude breathed in a dangerously low hiss. "I expect you to stand there, listen carefully and shut-the-fuck-up. Your encouragement of this entire affair has not been a lot of help either."

"This affair? My encouragement?! Good fuck, Claude, they are in love. What else was I supposed to do? Be a snarky and bitchy happiness ogre like you? If they're happy together, who am I to stand in their way?" Alois fumed while waving and accusing finger in Claude's face.

While the pair kept snapping hateful words at each other, Sebastian kept from any comment and simple drowned out the voices. All the muscles in his body were tensed and his eyes focused on the chaotic mess on the coffee table. All the words both lovers had spat and which had reached his ears, thundered through his mind like a bad Wednesday night drama. What had happened? And what had really lead to Ciel's misstep? He had so wanted to blame the navy haired student but deep down, he couldn't help but put all fault in his own corner. Had he ever really loved Ciel, or was it the attention he had gotten that had driven him wild?

"You could've been fucking supportive instead of trying to tear them apart. Who says your unconditional wailing isn't to blame for this entire situation?" Alois accused.

"Because if he had listened to me in the first place, he would've nipped this whole thing into the bud the moment it started to become more than just a casual screw." Claude retorted. "You should never mix work with pleasure. It can only go horribly wrong."

"We work together and we _are _together. Why would it work for us and not for Ciel and Sebastian?"

"Because I don't let either interfere with the other."

"Oh? So now you don't care about me? Well that's a fucking eye-opener."

"Please," Claude closed his eyes and massaged his temples. "For once, could you fucking not try and make this about yourself?"

"You just made it about me!" Alois snapped while poking the other male's cheek. "You just said that you don't care about me," he said with a pout and crossed his arms in a defensive manner.

"Goddamnit, is not listening to a word I say some infectious epidemic? Where the hell did you gather that I don't care about you? If I didn't, than why would I bother with sticking around for this long, huh?"

"Because the sex is awesome," Alois muttered and hopefully rolled his eyes up to his partner. Claude's expression was stoic as usual and his tone of voice betrayed no sarcasm when he bluntly told the blonde that he had had it better.

Once again, Sebastian shut himself off entirely while Alois exploded into a bitch fit. He stared ahead, and could not help but wonder if Claude was right. After a few moments, their eyes met and both males knew their fight was in an impasse for the time being. For now, Sebastian accepted Claude's opinion and Claude took Sebastian's silence as an agreement. Smiling a little halfheartedly, the golden eyes rolled behind the glasses, indicating Claude's annoyance with Alois. Sebastian gave him a lopsided smirk, turned his body and propped his cheek up against his knuckles. Together, they watched the blonde fume about his outstanding sexual performance. Halfway through the rant, Bard yanked the door to the living room open and stared daggers at the three.

"Dudes, I am trying to get laid upstairs. Could you keep your fucking homo talk down!"

The two raven haired males gave him a blank expression. The blonde whipped around and waved a finger at him.

"No, no. Sebastian's house, Sebastian's rules. If you want to get laid, do it like all the other Neanderthal did, somewhere in some gross man cave," he chirped and let his pale blue eyes scan the scruffy blonde. "But by the look of it, your rooms comes close."

Bard stared blank at Alois, shook his head to erase the memories of the blonde's words and turned to Sebastian and Claude. "What the fuck is his problem?"

"If we cared enough to listen to a word he says, we might've known," Sebastian commented with a weary shrug and chuckled low when Alois glared daggers at him.

"Well," Bard continued while taking the smoke from his lips. "Please, keep it down. The gay pheromones are killing the mood."

"Whatever," Claude snorted and waved it away. Before Bard closed the door, he solved the mystery around the Barbie game by asking them if it was to their homo liking.

"You changed it?!" Sebastian and Claude snapped at the same time. Bard grinned triumphant and wiped his nose at his arm.

"I did. Wanted to see how long it would take you zombies to figure it out. I got bored after the first two hours. Gather all that pink and random mellowness really is your flavor."

"Get out!" The two yelled and each hurled a game at Bard's head. He closed the door in the nick of time, causing the disks to crash against the door. The broken pieces lay there as a reminder of their own folly, enhanced by the animated laugh of the blonde as he went back upstairs.

"I'm going out for a smoke," Sebastian declared randomly and pushed himself off the couch. Neither Alois or Claude spared him any attention and when he closed the door to the kitchen behind him, he heard his best friend mend the pieces of Alois's wrecked sex pride.

* * *

Sebastian grabbed his coat from the dining room chair he had throw it on three days ago, put it on and stepped out into the cool October air. Leaning against the woodwork of the back porch, he lit a Lucky Strike and inhaled deeply. The cigarette soothed his worried mind a bit and he watched to blue smoke curl up and drift off. He put his collar up, shielding his pale cheeks from the eastern breeze that whipped at them in a biting manner.

Somewhere in the back of the yard, he heard rustling of bushes and after a few moments, Bard the cat walked out with a field mouse clenched between his teeth. Sebastian wrinkled his nose at it, emphasizing the tiny creature for not being able to escape the cats jaws, but at the same time, he could only pity his ignorance to skulk around in a garden that had the smell of cat all over it.

Behind him, he heard the door open and close. He didn't bother to turn around, assuming Claude would be there to continue their discussion.

"I really don't feel like hearing more of your accusations," he said while kicking the dead mouse Bard had laid down at his feet moments ago. "I know your thoughts on the subject, just let it be for now because I don't feel like talking about it anymore."

"Alright."

Sebastian whipped around at the voice and stared directly into Ciel's blue eye. The hand he had raised to his lips to suck at the butt of his cigarette got stuck mid air. Ciel tried to smile at his astonished expression but couldn't help but fear Sebastian would soon snap out of it and kick him out the front door. There was no time to waste.

"Before you decide anything, please, let me say something," he said, raising his hands in a sort of defensive and pleading manner.

Sebastian stared expressionless at him for a moment before he just gave him a short and cold nod that meant that he was willing to listen.

Ciel dropped his chin to his chest, exhaled and sucked air into his lungs. The scent of tobacco gave him all the courage he needed to look the raven haired male in the eye.

"I am sorry, and I don't think I can ever express with words how mortified and angry I am with myself for doing what I did. I was drunk, and I know that is not an excuse, but…" He bit his lip and reminded himself of what Lizzy had said. Don't blame him, it could only make it worse. "Damn, Sebastian, I was messed up, and I interpreted things differently," nervously, he started to drag a hand through his navy locks. "I fucked up, I know that. I don't know what I was thinking, or _if_ I was even thinking… You and Angela, William was there…" He stopped talking when he saw the pained expression on Sebastian's face. After what seemed hours, the older male finally spoke.

"Is that all? You came here to give me a summary of that night? Alright, if that was all…"

"No," Ciel blurted out, his voice louder than he had intended on. "It's not all. Fuck Sebastian, I know I fucked up, but can't you find a way to forgive me. The conditions weren't normal and the idea that Angela might've kissed you tore me apart."

"So, now it's my fault that you had your tongue down William's throat?" Sebastian remarked with a skeptically raised eyebrow.

"Of course not. Nothing is your fault, in fact, it's nobody's fault."

"That's easy…"

Ciel whipped around and stared directly into Claude's golden eyes. He stood in the doorway, leaning casually against the frame with crossed arms. He raised an eyebrow at the navy haired male as well and tilted his chin. "It's nobody's fault, huh? How about it's your fault for letting that guy's paws all over you."

"Claude!" Alois stepped from the half-light behind the older male and threw a meaningful look at his partner. "Stay out of this," he hissed dangerously.

"Yeah," Ciel said, immediately agreeing with the blonde. "This is none of your business, it's between me and Sebastian."

"When you start hurting my best friend like you did, it becomes my business," Claude commented flatly, easily overthrowing Ciel's reasoning.

Ciel snorted an rolled his eyes. "Fine, you can yell at me all you want in a moment, but for now, I would like to talk to Sebastian in private."

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that," was Claude's response and he made no attempts to leave, even when Sebastian asked him to.

Ciel gnashed his teeth and clenched his fists next to his body. "Stop being such a dick!" He snapped irritated. "I don't need a fucking running commentary from you while I'm talking to Sebastian.

"I'm the dick?" Claude raised in disbelief while point at himself. "Strange, because I was pretty sure you were being the dick when you let that douche stuff his up your ass."

"Claude!" Alois cried, incredulity audibly in his voice and visible on his handsome face. "You did not just say that!"

"I did."

"Take it back. You know as well as I do that that was _not _the case!"

"Meh," Claude shrugged. "Whatever. He might as well could've had that dick up his ass, it wouldn't have made much of a difference. He cheated, and whether if he was drunk or not, he should've known better."

"Shut up!" Ciel barked, his body shaking with anger while he glared daggers at Claude. "Just shut the fuck up and stay the fuck out of this!"

Before Claude could snap back another bitchy comment, they were all rendered silent when Sebastian decided it was time for him to involve himself in the discussion that mainly revolved around him.

"The truth hurts, I know. It's biologically-based actually, our brain process sound faster than they do light, but light moves faster than sound, see? So our brain is constantly shifting between reality so the world syncs up."

Ciel slowly turned to him and frowned confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Only this," Sebastian put a fresh cigarette between his lips and lit it. "You know, when a person stands thirty yards away, only then do we see and hear the world exactly as it is. That's when your brain, sound and light are all in perfect harmony."

"So?" Ciel questioned anxiously. If the tone of voice and attitude Sebastian took with him was a premonition for which direction this conversation was going, Ciel knew the outcome could not be good.

"The rest of the time we are living in a world of lies, so lies are what make the world make perfect sense, which concludes that you are an excellent liar. Because I was there, less than thirty yards away from you most of the time, but it wasn't in perfect harmony, even though you made me believe it was."

"I still don't see what this has to do with anything," Ciel lied and tried to swallow the lump of tears that was already forming in the pocket of his throat.

"Ergo," Sebastian finally looked him in the eyes and the apathetic expression stabbed the navy haired male straight in the heart. "The truth hurts."

Ciel studied the older male for a moment or two, molding the words over, chewing on them and repeating them in his head. After a minute, he draw a face and snapped at Sebastian.

"Did you just quote Patrick Jane?!"

The corner of Sebastian's mouth twitched, like he wanted to smirk but concluded that this was no time for grinning and found the decency to keep a straight face.

"So I did," he shrugged, nonchalance in the entire gesture.

"This is not a time to use somebody else's words, Sebastian," Ciel now practically screamed. "Could you just be serious for once, you fucking prick!"

Sebastian arched an eyebrow at him, crossed his arms and propped his cheek up against his knuckles.

"And there I was, thinking that screwing around with another man at our release party would make you the fucking prick for once," he mentioned in a too careless tone while fanning out his fingers. "Guess I was mistaken again, so terribly foolish of me."

Ciel gritted his teeth and clenched his fists next to his body. "What the hell does it take to make you mad. What kind of a stoic ass are you? If you had just told I'm not just a casual fuck for you, none of this would've happened in the first place."

Turning his eye to the porch, Ciel could smack himself the instant he heard those words leave his mouth, but taking them back was already too late. All four had heard them and now even Alois made an uncomfortable and awkward noise that was probably to indicate that not even he could help Ciel anymore. Carefully, he rolled his eye up to meet Sebastian's crimson eyes. The look the older male gave him was more arctic than he had ever seen.

"Oh, so now you're are blaming me? That is so comical. You know, Ciel, you should've considered a career in theatre because you are quite the standup comedian."

"I'm sorry," the younger male murmured and dragged a hand through his navy locks. "I didn't mean to say that at all… it was never my intention to blame or hurt you… I…"

"But you did," Sebastian said, his voice calm and his attitude indifferent. He sucked a little more at the butt of his cigarette before throwing it down and extinguishing it under his shoes. He stepped forward and halted next to the now trembling Ciel. "And that hurt, probably even more than the entire cheating itself. You can let yourself out," and with that he walked on.

* * *

Ciel felt tears sting in his eyes. He swallowed, and swallowed again, but the lump seemed to refuse to move, not even an inch. It was stuck in his throat and nearly prohibited him from speaking at all. When he did after twirling around and watching Sebastian walk away, his voice sounded strange and distant.

"What about the competition?"

Sebastian stopped in the middle of the kitchen. He could feel all eyes staring at his back. He clenched his fists, inhaled and tried to relax every muscle in his body before he spoke.

"We'll meet you in New Orleans. After that, I'm done," he spoke and slammed the door to the hallway behind him. Ciel caved in instantly, as if the blow of the door had stabbed him and caused an unbearable physical pain. Claude exchanged a look with Alois and he just gave the blonde a short nod before walking away. When he had cleared the kitchen, Alois stepped out and kneeled down next to the navy haired heap of misery.

"Ciel? Are you alright?"

The male stared motionless at the wooden boards of the porch, his visible eye wide and glazed.

"I lost him for good," he mumbled, his voice extremely calm and incredulity laced through it. Alois sucked on his lip and closed his eyes for a moment. Opening them again, he placed a hand on Ciel's shoulder and he felt the other male's body jerk at the gentle touch.

"Come on, Ciel, you have to get up. You'll catch a cold if you stay like this."

Ciel barely noticed that Alois helped him to his feet. Just like he did not notice that the blonde supported him to the front door and placed him in the passenger's seat of Lizzy's car.

"I'll take you home," Alois said after sliding into the driver's seat. "Where are the keys?"

Ciel didn't respond and was barely aware that someone was talking to him and that after moments of trying to get his attention, Alois just bend over him and went through his pockets. During the ride to the Phantomhive estate, the blonde kept saying things to comfort him. Ciel only caught onto a few words, mainly when Alois mentioned Sebastian's name. Turning up the drive, Alois parked the car near the front porch and hoisted him out of the car.

"Are your parents home?" He asked while hauling the now almost numb Ciel to the front door. He barely walked and leaned on Alois's shoulder like a lifeless ragdoll. Vaguely registering the question, Ciel shook his head.

"Fucking perfect," Alois cursed and rummaged through his friend's pockets for the key to the front door. Once inside, the blonde somehow managed to drag Ciel's not cooperating body to the couch. Lying down, Ciel curled up into a ball instantly and shivered uncontrollably. His mind refused to register anything, not even the cry of Alois after he had put a cool hand on Ciel's forehead and yelled that he was burning up.

"I'm calling a doctor," Alois declared as calm as possible, and before leaving the room to find the number of Ciel's aunt, he put a quilt over the shivering male and placed his head on a pillow.

"Alois?" With whatever power he still had in his body, Ciel reached out and grabbed the blonde's hand.

"Yes?"

"I lost him, didn't I?"

Alois sighed, sank down to his knees and wiped a lock of hair that was matted to Ciel's forehead away. He smiled comforting and spoke in a soft tone of voice.

"Just rest, Ciel. It'll be alright," he promised and with a reassuring smile, he stood and left the room. Ciel sighed, blinked a tear away and with the empty but somehow soothing words of Alois coursing through his mind, he fell asleep.

* * *

Sebastian had watched Alois help Ciel to the car. He had watched them drive off and disappear between the trees. He had been staring at the same point ever since.

Claude had walked in and had intended to give Sebastian a piece of his mind about the rudeness on the Phantomhive boy, but he saw that it would be wasted on his best friend. He had squeezed his shoulder and told him he would leave him for now. How long it had been since Claude had closed the door soundlessly, Sebastian did not know. He noticed that it had grown dark, but the evening always came earlier this time of year.

Sitting in the windowsill with his knees pulled up, he smoked his tenth cigarette in the complete darkness of his own room. The moon big and bright above the trees but it offered little light to his eyes. As if it's silvery-blue warmth was shielded by some invisible force field.

He had checked his phone every now and then. Ciel hadn't called, so his message had been clear. He would leave him alone, just like Sebastian had wanted, but realizing that the younger male actually listened to his fabricated lie, caused an unbearable cramp in his chest.

A soft knock on the door dragged him out of his melancholic state of mind. Claude did however not wait for permission to enter. With his mobile to his ear, he walked to Sebastian and now, that light of the moon showed something Sebastian wished he would never see again.

"What happened to Ciel?" He questioned instantly.

The golden eyes, drawn with worry, met Sebastian's crimson ones and while Claude slowly repeated the words Alois had told him moments earlier through the phone, Sebastian got up and raced past him, his heart slamming painfully against his chest.

"Ciel is sick. He has a high fever and with his weak health and the condition he is in at the moment, his aunt cannot predict how he will get through this night."

* * *

Honestly, I am a strong believer of emotional pain expressing itself in physical pain. I know it happens to me some times, so... with everything Ciel went through with our delicious Sebastian, this was inevitable.

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed that I cooked this up in less than 2 hours... 2 hours, I say.. yes. I believe the reason for such a thrifty process is my girlfriend, **Gail**. Baby, I don't know if you read this, but you're all my reasons, ok?

Not going to go into dramatically long expressions of love on here, because she knows I love her and I think it's otiose to bother you with all my Shakespeare inspired love declarations. Not that kind of person and I think it means more when you say it in real life.

That's it for now, review and I will keep working on the slightly altered plotline. Bye, my sweet bizarre dolls!


	30. Act 109

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

I know, my sweet bizarre dolls; it has been too long. Ugh, so many things going on right now, not even to mention that I am working on a story/script for a series and my own novel. But, that does not give me a right to neglect you all, so, my deepest apologies.

I hope this chapter is everything you wanted. I know this story has once again taken me into a direction I did not expect, but, I am good with it for now. Let's see where this ship makes port.

For now, enjoy, and know that I am working on the next chapters of TCM and Indebted. I really want them out this week because I have a busy month coming up and I don't want to leave you all hanging for the holidays.

Thank you for all the support and appreciation. It really warms my heart on these cold winter nights!

O.

* * *

The moment Rachel opened the door to her son's bedroom, her heart started to pound painfully in her chest. Alois sat on a chair next to the bed and dapped the sweat of a shallow breathing and loudly coughing Ciel's forehead. Ann had called Vincent during a dinner with his old college friend Diedrich and when she used her professional voice and spoke in coherent sentences, they had known something was really wrong and had rushed out of the restaurant.

"Ann?"

Rachel heard her own voice quiver and her blue eyes were wide when her sister walked up to her, her normally smiling face drawn in a serious frown. Rachel reached beside her and soon clutched Vincent's hand. He squeezed it, something that normally was very reassuring that everything would be alright, but right now, Rachel couldn't comprehend how her ill looking boy could ever get any better.

"Ann, what is wrong with him?"

The redhead stopped in front of her sister and brother-in-law. She tried to give them a comforting smile but when she couldn't, both parents knew the situation was bad.

"He has sleeping since before I got here. I have given him some antibiotics so he could be waking up soon. Why don't we talk in the hallway for a moment. He's now still asleep and with the condition he is in, he can use all the rest he can get."

Rachel swallowed, her vision blurring by tears of concern, and shook her head.

"I am staying with him," she whispered while letting go of her husband's hand and crossing the room. Her eyes met Alois's for a moment and he offered her a tiny smile while holding up the wet cloth he had used to wipe away Ciel's sweat. Her hand shook when she took it and with a small smile of her own and a soft thank you, Rachel sank down on the bed.

Ciel groaned when she placed her cool hand on his forehead. His eyelid stirred for a second before he opened it and immediately shut it to ban out the bright light of his the lamp on his nightstand.

"Mom?" He whispered in a timid voice.

"I'm here, pumpkin," she whispered and blinked several times, trying to hide the tears as not to upset Ciel. "Just go back to sleep, sweetie."

"My throat hurts," he said and swallowed before he could continue. "Can I have a drink of water?" He wheezed and commenced into coughing loudly. Rachel turned to Ann, and her sister gave her a short nod.

"I'll get it," Alois offered and after a soft pet on Ciel's shoulder, he stood and left the room to retrieve a glass of water from the kitchen. Ann took Vincent by the arm and lead him to the hallway, closing the door and leaving mother and son alone.

"How are you feeling baby?" Rachel asked.

Ciel rolled his tired eye to his mother and tried to crack a smile but was overcome by a painful fit of coughing. "Like somebody's sitting on my chest and stabbing the inside of my throat with a knife," he rasped after and groaned at the tightening tension in his lungs. "What did Ann say?"

"I don't know baby," Rachel whispered and dapped at his forehead. "She's talking to your father right now."

He swallowed and turned his watery gaze to the ceiling. "What if it is something bad?"

"I'm sure that if it was something bad, Ann would've already send you to the hospital," Rachel lied to comfort her son. As long as she didn't know what was wrong with him, there was no need to translate her fears to him.

"My chest hurts really bad, mom," he whispered and clawed at his shirt.

Rachel hushed him and stroke his hair comforting. "I know baby, that's why it's important for you to go back to sleep. You need to rest to get better," she said.

"I don't think I've ever felt this sick before," he murmured while staring at the tiny cracks above his head. "It feels like my lungs and entire body are on fire."

"You were this sick once, when you were a little boy," Rachel told him while covering his trembling hand with hers. "You had to go to the hospital for a few weeks to get better."

Ciel mashed his brows together and seemed to dig into his memory. "I can't remember that."

"Of course you can't," Rachel said with a smile. "You were only two years old."

"Well, such a traumatic experience should leave some sort of a memory," Ciel pointed out before his body tensed and he had another coughing fit.

Rachel helped him in a semi upright position to clear his airway while he coughed. When the coughing and convulsions stopped, she gently placed him back in the pillow and dapped his forehead.

"It wasn't traumatic for you," she said and grinned as she recalled a memory. "At first, you were kept asleep so that your body could rest, and when you were getting better again, you were too excited with all the attention you were getting from us and the staff of nurses. They all dotted on you and gave you extra jello."

Ciel smirked broad. "That doesn't sound like me."

Rachel inhaled and pushed a lock of his hair out off his eye. "Believe it or not, but you used to be a very social person."

"Criticizing me is not really helping right now," Ciel muttered and squeezed his mother's hand when his lungs contorted again and another painful fit hurt his already sore throat. Once again, his mother helped him up and lay down again. He rolled his tired eye her way and drew wheezing breaths. "You're not leaving me alone now, are you?" He asked.

For a moment, she saw Ciel as that little and helpless boy that was drowning in his hospital gown again and it conjured a smile on her lips. Shaking her head, Rachel curled up next to her son, bend down and pressed a kiss on his hair before stroking it.

"I'm here, baby, just like in the hospital. I am here, and I am not going anywhere."

* * *

Vincent and Ann had stepped a few feet away from the door to make sure neither Rachel or Ciel would overhear their conversation. Ann had looked serious, and knowing his sister-in-law for over twenty years now, this made Vincent worried.

"What's wrong with him, Ann?"

The redhead dragged a hand through her locks before placing it on her hip. She chewed on her lip and didn't dare to look Vincent in the eye while she tried to find the right words.

"Is it that bad?" Vincent said, drawing his own conclusions after he saw her expression. He stepped forward and gently took a hold of her arms. "Just, tell me Ann. Please."

Ann sighed at the pleading voice, dropped her shoulders and finally looked Vincent in the eye. "He has a severe pneumonia."

Vincent mashed his brows together and loosened his grip on her arms. "He has had pneumonia before, that is not that bad, is it?"

"Correct. Pneumonia is very treatable and generally, the recovery time extends for a period of seven to ten days…"

"Alright. Than what is the problem?" Vincent asked.

Ann inhaled, closed and opened her eyes so to sink into her professional role before she turned her gaze to Vincent again. Her face was stoic and her voice collected when she told her brother-in-law the hard facts.

"Before, Ciel didn't have asthmas yet. Now that he has, his immune system is a little weaker and the pneumonia can be more severe."

"Alright. So some extra days in bed," Vincent suggested. "I still do not see the doom that is written all over your face."

"What about the competition?"

Ann wiped around and Vincent tilted his head to look over her shoulder. Alois stood in the middle of the hallway, his hand clutching the glass of water he had retrieved for Ciel. His eyes went from Ann to Vincent and he slowly repeated the words as if he wanted to let them sink in and settle with all of them.

"His health is more important," Vincent finally concluded. Ann nodded, silently agreeing with her brother-in-law, and even though the blonde agreed as well, he felt like he had to speak up for his friend.

"We all know that we cannot keep Ciel away from that competition," Alois reasoned. "Not after he worked so hard to get those songs recorded and the album finished in time."

"You can't think Ciel would jeopardize his own health to win some lousy competition," Vincent said coolly. "Besides, even if he were that foolish, I wouldn't let him go."

Alois arched an eyebrow and looked Vincent up and down. "And you honestly believe Ciel will let you decide what he should and shouldn't do?"

Vincent straightened his shoulders and glanced at the blonde. "He is my son. I will decide what is best for him," he answered, his voice more arctic than he ever heard it himself and hesitated a bit after that before speaking again. "Besides, _he_ will be there. I do not want to put my son through anymore emotional stress than he has already been through these past days."

Alois frowned, knowing exactly who Vincent was talking about. For a moment, he hesitated about what he should say. Vincent was Ciel's father and it was only more than natural that he put his son's health first, but he knew in his gut that he had to say something on Ciel's behalf.

"Why don't you ask Ciel what he wants?" He suggested, narrowing his eyes at the two adults.

Vincent peered at him for a few seconds and the moments of silence had never felt more awkward between him and Alois. He had never bothered to really socialize with this flamboyant blonde aside from the necessary conversations they had to have about the album.

"I do not think Ciel is in any state to decide what is good for him right now," Vincent stated, his eyes shooting to Ann for conformation. When she didn't support his conclusion, he went on drawing his own. "He needs to rest to get better."

"Well than," Alois said and continued walking to the door. "Let's ask him that ourselves, shall we?" And with that, he took the doorknob in his hand and opened the room before Vincent or Ann could stop him.

* * *

Rachel and Ciel looked up, the latter growled at Alois for taking so long.

"You had to get that water at Niagara Falls or something," he muttered but thankfully took the glass the blonde offered him. Taking slow sips as not to choke on the drink, the water had a cooling effect on his burning throat. His eye studied the others present in the room over the rim off the glass. Nobody spoke, and the silence was tangible. He finally lowered the glass and gave it to his mother.

"Something wrong?"

Both Vincent and Alois opened their mouths to speak, but Ann beat them to it.

"We need to talk about your condition," she said and walked over to the bed.

"Alright," Ciel said, his eye following his aunt while she sank down next to him on the mattress and placed a hand on his legs.

"You have a pneumonia," Ann began and locked eyes with her sister when Rachel let out a relieved sigh.

"That's not that bad, right?" Ciel asked. "Give me some antibiotics and a few days in bed and I will be fine again, not? Damn, I thought I was dying," he joked and laughed awkwardly when his aunt's face did not light up at his bad attempt to clear the air.

"Generally, a pneumonia is not that bad," Ann continued in a very serious tone of voice. "But with your asthmas, it will mean that you will have to rest more and you'll probably need more medication in order for it pass."

Ciel frowned, still not entirely sure what the fuss was all about. "Ok, more rest and medicine. I still don't see…" He stopped in the middle of his sentence, snapped his head up and looked Alois straight in the eye. "The competition."

The blonde nodded slowly. "That's right, Ciel," he confirmed in a monotone voice. Alois's entire composure was serious and stoic and this made the nay haired male understand the seriousness of the entire situation.

"I am still going," Ciel said immediately and tried to sit up a little more. Ignoring the pain in his entire body, he leaned back against the headboard and glared from Alois to his father. "You cannot stop me. We have worked too hard for this."

"Well frankly, I think your mother and I will both agree that your health is more important than any competition. If Ann says you need to rest, you're are not going to jeopardize your health for it."

"Jeopardize my health? It's just a pneumonia. I still have two days till the competition and with a lot of rest and antibiotics, I will be a lot better this Friday. Right, aunt Ann?" Ciel asked and turned his gaze to his aunt.

Ann bit her lip, sighed and leaned in to caress his cheek. "As much as I would love to tell you that you'll be able to go to the competition, I can't do that. If it had only been a pneumonia, I would advised against it but the risks if you choose to go would be a lot less severe. You have asthmas, and the pressure and excitement of the performance could trigger an asthma attack and combined with a pneumonia, it could be lethal."

Ciel's eye widened and he turned his gaze to his father. Vincent's expression told him he wouldn't budge, so Ciel rolled his eye to Alois.

"A little help here would be appreciated," he snarled and coughed loudly after.

"I don't think I can help you with this one," Alois said and quickly exchanged a glance with Vincent before turning his attention to Ciel again. "At first, I thought they had to let you decide if you felt up for competing, but if you stand to really risk your health for it, I have to agree with your father and tell you that the competition is not worth risking a certain death."

"Grow a fucking backbone," Ciel snapped at the blonde and turned his head to his mother to get her support. But Rachel also shook her head and told her son that she agreed with his father.

"You're all idiots," Ciel exclaimed harsh and tried to get up. When his sore muscles refused to cooperate, he sat back again and crossed his arms. "Would someone get me my fucking phone."

"What do you need your phone for, sweetie?" Rachel asked in a sweet tone of voice.

"To fry a steak with," Ciel snorted sarcastically. "What do you reckon I need my phone for? I need to make a call."

"To whom?" Rachel fished.

"None of your fucking business!"

"Don't take that tone with your mother," Vincent lectured, waving a finger at his son. "Just because you are sick doesn't give you the right to talk to your mother like that."

"I talk to her however I damn please," Ciel spat and gnashed his teeth after when Vincent told him they would not be getting his phone unless he told them who he was going to call.

"I am going to call Sebastian, alright? I am sure he will be able to talk some sense into the lot of you."

"No, you are not," Vincent said blatantly. "You should avoid emotional stress and with what has been going on between you two, he is just that. I forbid you to talk to him."

"You cannot forbid me to talk to the lead singer of my own band!" Ciel barked and threw the blankets off his legs. "If none of you bastards is getting my phone, I will do it myself."

"I warn you, Ciel," Vincent said while straightening his shoulders. "If you call him, I will disband the Funtom Company faster than you can say his name. I will not let him put anymore unnecessary stress on you."

Ciel set his jaw and was ready to snap back at his father when Alois spoke.

"I already called Claude," he said in a timid voice. "And while I was on the phone with him, he went into Sebastian's room and told him what had happened."

"You what?!" Vincent screamed while whirling around to the blonde. "Who gave you permission to call either of them?"

"They're his band members, and I think we all know Sebastian is even more than that to Ciel. I thought they needed to be informed of the condition Ciel is in."

"Who gave you the right to think for our son?" Vincent spoke, his eyes narrowed while he glared at Alois. "We are his parents. If we thought it was necessary for other people to be informed of Ciel's condition, we would've called them ourselves."

"Oh really?" Alois crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow at Vincent. "Because call me crazy, but I am almost certain you wouldn't have called Sebastian."

"Of course I wouldn't have called him! He is the reason my son is in this condition!" Vincent exclaimed loudly.

"That is preposterous. How do you figure Sebastian could give Ciel a pneumonia? It's not as if he has free excess to a biochemical lab so that he can steal fungi and bacteria. He's not an eco terrorist."

Ciel had to bite back a laugh when his father seemed to have no educated response to Alois's argument. He swore he even heard both his mother and aunt chuckle a little and this enraged Vincent even more.

"I do not care to know how, but I am sure it is somehow his fault," Vincent hissed through gritted teeth. "End of discussion," he added before turning to Ciel and snapping a finger up at him. "That man is not coming into this house again. You will break all bonds with him that have nothing to do with the band and you will not see him anymore outside band engagements. Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly," Ciel said with frowned brows. "Just so you know. This would not have worked if Sebastian didn't already make it clear he wants nothing more to do with me outside the band."

Vincent frowned, for a second lost for words when Ciel so easily agreed with him. The pained look in his son's eye was haunting and for a moment, he wanted to take back everything he had said about Sebastian if this would make Ciel smile, but he knew that cutting off all bonds with him would be best for his son.

"Good," he said. "I am glad that is clear. Now I want everybody to leave so that he can rest."

Ann reached in her brown leather bag and placed some pills on Ciel's nightstand. "Take this. It'll help you sleep and relieve your pain."

"Thanks," Ciel said timid while staring at his hands. He felt his aunt press a kiss on his forehead before she stood and followed Alois and Vincent to the door. When they were alone again, Rachel stood to refresh his glass of water.

"Hold out your hand," she said while sitting down and taking the pills. She placed on in his hand and gave him the water. Before he could take the second pill, they heard the doorbell, followed by pounding and a voice that demanded to see Ciel. His blue eye widened in disbelief and met Rachel's.

"Is that…?"

Rachel nodded, placed the rest of the pills on the nightstand and at her son's request, she went to the hallway to check.

* * *

After Claude had received the call from Alois, Sebastian had rushed out in such a hurry that he forgot his car keys and jacket. Claude found him kicking his car door, his clothes and hair matted to his body and face from the rain that fell from the black sky in a constant shower.

"Settle down," Claude said while throwing Sebastian's leather jacket at him and jingling the keys. "I think it's best if I drive."

"I don't fucking care, just hurry up," Sebastian snarled while jogging to the passengers' seat. On the way over, Sebastian kept cursing at cars that didn't drive to his liking. He forced Claude to pass them and flipped the drivers the finger as they drove by. Even before the car had come to a stop at the estate, Sebastian had opened his door and jumped out. He opened the gates and jogged up the lane, the headlights of the car enlightening the path while Claude drove up the drive behind him.

"Take it easy," Claude screamed over the howling wind while he locked the car. "It's not like he's dying or something."

Sebastian had ignored him as he rang the bell and started pounding on the door when they didn't open it immediately. "How the fuck do you know?" He snapped at Claude when the raven haired male halted next to him.

"Because it is Alois, he's always overreacting and blowing things out of proportions."

At the exact moment Claude uttered those words, the door opened and Alois glared daggers at him. Claude grinned apologetic, stepped forward and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"You know I don't mean it like that, baby," he whispered.

"Sure, because I tend to pull it out proportions, not?" Alois retorted snarky.

"Get over yourselves," Sebastian snapped. "How is Ciel doing?" He asked while he not so gently shoved Alois out of his way and stepped into the hall. He was instantly greeted by an angry Vincent.

"You got some nerve showing up here."

Sebastian frowned, sighed and rolled his eyes. "I understand that you are angry with me for some reason, but this is not about me or you. I just want to make sure Ciel is doing alright."

"He is not, thanks to you," Vincent said coldly.

"What is your problem, Vincent? It's not as if I intentionally made him sick. What reasons do I have to want him sick so close to the competition?"

"I don't want to know your twisted reasons but I am sure it has all to do with making Ciel feel even worse. Now if you would please leave. With the condition my son is in, he cannot handle more emotional stress."

"Emotional stress?" Sebastian frowned and pressed his lips together. "I didn't come here to argue with him. I just want to know how he is doing and make sure he will be alright."

"He will be," Vincent said. "Once you disappear from his personal life, he will be fine."

Sebastian stared at Vincent for a moment before answering in a arctic tone of voice. "If he wants me to disappear from his personal life, I want to hear him say that to me himself."

"Tough luck," Vincent answered in the same tone. "I do not want you to see him anymore."

"Try and stop me," Sebastian stated blank and stepped forward. Vincent clenched his fists and when the raven haired male almost passed him, he leaped forward and the sound of flesh colliding echoed within the hallway.

Claude let out a low growl and Alois made a futile attempt to try and stop him from giving Vincent a mean punch in the face. Before the raven haired male could grab the molded male's collar, Sebastian raised his hand and stopped him.

"Don't, Claude," he said coolly.

"But he fucking deserves it," the other male growled low.

"He is looking out for his son," Sebastian answered and looked Vincent in the eye. "We cannot blame him for caring for his own flesh and blood," he added.

Claude narrowed his eyes at Vincent. "I can sure try," he hissed through gritted teeth.

"If you want to be treated like him," Vincent scoffed and jerked his to Sebastian. "Go ahead and try and punch me."

"Oh, I am really scared now," Claude mocked and turned to Sebastian and placed a hand on his arm. "Let's just get out of here. It's clear we are not wanted."

"Not before I get to see Ciel," Sebastian said and slid his crimson eyes to Vincent. The older male narrowed his eyes and tilted his head back.

"I would love to see you try and get past me – I am not afraid to use more excessive force to make you understand that I don't want you anywhere near my son."

"Enough!"

All men turned their gaze to the top of the stairs. Rachel stood there, hands in her sides, her big blue eyes angry and a her face scrunched up in a nasty frown.

"That is enough. No more violence."

"But dear…" Vincent tried but shut his mouth when his wife raised a hand.

"I do not like this anymore than you do, but if Ciel wants to see Sebastian, I do not think that it is any of our business and we should stay out of it."

"But, emotional stress is not good for him," Vincent argued. "You heard what Ann said."

"So you think hearing you two bickering in the hallway is not stressful for him?" Rachel exclaimed harshly, her voice leaping.

Vincent said nothing, pressed his lips together and turned his gaze to the carpet. Rachel nodded satisfied and turned her gaze to Sebastian. Her eyes were almost inquisitorial and when she spoke, he voice was more authoritative than she ever heard it herself.

"I do not want you to upset him. Do not mention anything about what went down that night."

"Alright," Sebastian agreed.

"And when I ask you to leave, you will go without a struggle," Rachel added. "Understood?"

"Perfectly," Sebastian answered and was about to a step forward. Before he did, he turned his crimson eyes to Vincent. The older male rolled his eyes and with a weary sigh, he nodded, giving him silent permission to pass. Sebastian jogged up the stairs, halted next to Rachel and peered down on her.

"Thank you," he whispered. Rachel shook her head and when she turned her gaze up to meet his, he noticed her normally warm and loving look was cold and distant.

"Do not thank me, I am only looking to do what is best for my son. He needs you, especially now. Don't disappoint him."

He gave her a short nod and turned to the long corridor. The last door on the right was half open and a ray of light lit the dark carpeting. He swallowed, inhaled and started to walk towards it.

* * *

Ciel looked up when he heard a soft knock and his eye lit up when he saw Sebastian lean casually against the doorframe.

"Hello Ciel."

"Hi."

His voice was eager and a few octaves higher than normally. He felt his cheeks color but knew he could pass this off as the fever that was plaguing him.

"Can I come in?"

Ciel cleared his throat loudly and gave Sebastian permission to enter. He watched the raven haired male close the door and he seemed to hesitate a moment before he turned back towards him, a small smile plastered on his lips.

"How are you feeling?"

"I've been better, but I've also felt a lot worse," he lied through his teeth. Sebastian nodded and dragged a hand through his wet locks before he pushed them both in the pockets of his sweatpants.

"Do they know what's wrong with you?"

"Yeah, it's pneumonia. Nothing very serious," he said, waving an uninterested hand. After, he immediately slapped it over his mouth when he had another painful coughing fit.

"That doesn't sound like it's not very serious," Sebastian said, mashing his brows together and mustering a most sympathetic look. "Would you like a drink of water?"

Ciel shook his head and pointed to the nightstand. "I already have some, thank you."

The silence that followed was thick and uncomfortable for the both of them. The tension was tangible and filled with unanswered questions, regret and deferred sex. Sebastian stood in the middle of the room and tried to think of something to say. Ciel secretly studied his expression from underneath his lashes while he chewed on his lip, eager to speak his mind.

"Look… about what happened this afternoon…"

"We need to talk about the competition."

They blinked at each other. Sebastian smirked handsomely and dragged his hand through his hair again. "You go first." Before Ciel could tell him different, Sebastian raised his hand, palm out to stop him from speaking. "I insist," he added.

Ciel sighed, closed his eye for a moment and studied his hands after. "My parents won't let me enter the competition."

Sebastian swallowed. "Alright."

"It's stupid. Just because I have asthmas and the excitement could trigger some attack doesn't mean they can tell me what to do. We have worked too hard for this, and I am going. So, I just wanted to tell you that you need not worry because…"

"I don't want you to enter either."

Ciel's jaw dropped, stunned by the words. Sebastian's expression was serious as he walked over and sank down on the bed.

"Excuse me?"

"Ciel," the older male reached out but withdrew his hand before he touched Ciel's. "A pneumonia is serious, especially in combination with your asthmas. You need to get better."

"Fuck that," Ciel exclaimed. "This competition is important."

"No," Sebastian shook his head. "Your health is more important than anything. I do not want you to enter. There will be other competitions…"

"But that means Aleister wins!" Ciel screamed. "If we don't enter, he will win and we will have to wait another year before we can compete again."

"If that's what it takes, we'll wait a year. I don't want you to risk your health for some stupid competition or to proof that you are better than your old band. You already know you are better than that scumbag, you don't have to proof that to anybody."

"The hell I have to. I told him I would wipe the floor with his boney ass."

"No," now, Sebastian's hand covered his and his crimson eyes gazed deep in his blue one. "You do not need to proof yourself Ciel. Not to me, not to Alois or Claude or anybody else."

"But – I… What about you guys?" Ciel said, blinking at Sebastian. "I feel like I am letting you down."

"You're not letting us down Ciel. We've achieved things we didn't dream of achieving anymore. We're a number one band again, and we have produced a great album in little under a month. This competition is nothing. Just a piece of paper that says we are the best country band when we already know that we are. First, you need to get better, and when you're in good health again, we'll plan a tour. After that, we can record another album and before you know it, we can enter this competition again."

Ciel turned his eye to the hand that covered his. "That is not good enough. I want to compete."

Sebastian sighed, leaned forward and pressed a kiss on his forehead. "Rest, Ciel. Get better and we will talk about our next move in a week or two."

"Where are you going?" Ciel followed Sebastian's movement as he stood and straightened his back.

"Home. I need to give Claude and Alois the news and make some calls. Don't worry, we'll come back to visit you next week when you're feeling a little better and your father hasn't killed me yet. He has a mean right punch," and saying that, his fingers touched his painful jaw for a moment.

Ciel chuckled and wrinkled his nose for a moment, as if he could feel Sebastian's pain. The cute expression made Sebastian grin broadly.

"Yeah, I overheard that," Ciel sighed and tilted his head back so that he could look Sebastian in the eye. "I am sorry. My father is overreacting."

"He's protecting you, I can only admire that."

"Do you really need to leave already? I wanted to talk to you about what happened and once again let you know how sorry I am."

Sebastian shook his head. "Not now, Ciel. We can discuss that later."

"But I want to discuss it now!" Ciel whined. "Who knows if you'll still talk to me later."

"I will," Sebastian said and took a step back. The hand that was holding Ciel's slowly started to slip away. "Don't worry. We will talk about this once you're feeling better," he promised and turned on his heels.

"Sebastian," Ciel said in a pleading voice. "I want to talk about it now."

The older male ignored it, walked to the door and opened it. In the doorway, he turned towards Ciel and offered him a smile. "Go to sleep, Ciel. Get better."

"I can't sleep," he said and swallowed before continuing. "Not without you."

The words stabbed Sebastian and he felt a painful throb in his chest when he saw the look in Ciel's blue eye. Disregarding all the pain and anger he had felt these past days, he stepped into the room, closed the door and walked over to the surprised navy haired male.

Ciel watched Sebastian kick off his shoes and paw his jacket off. After that, he pulled his sweater over his head and pushed his sweatpants down. Standing in nothing but his boxers and socks, Sebastian seemed to hesitate for a moment. Ciel swallowed audibly, taking a moment to take in the sight of his naked flesh before he lifted the blanket. Sebastian sat down, tore his socks off and crawled into bed with him. Sitting up against the headboard, they both jolted when their legs touched. Sebastian laughed and nervously dragged his hand through his hair.

"Look at us," he murmured. "Almost as if we've never lay in the same bed before."

"Yeah," Ciel said, laughing awkwardly. A tensed silence followed while both males stared at the end of the bed. When Ciel turned his head to the right and opened his mouth to speak, he was cut off when Sebastian put his arm around him and pulled him closer.

"Just sleep," he whispered in the navy locks.

Ciel felt his breath hitch in his throat. His body froze at the sudden gesture of love and for a moment, he was clueless at what to do. But when the familiar warmth radiated against his skin, and his nose got a whiff of the designated scent that was Sebastian, he relaxed and cuddled up against him. Placing his head on the older male's chest, he could hear his racing heartbeat. The rapid thuds were strangely comforting and he pushed his nose in Sebastian's skin to inhale his scent.

"I love you," Ciel whispered. Seconds of thick silence passed until Sebastian finally responded.

"I know that. Go to sleep, Ciel," he whispered and started to stroke his navy hair.

It was not the answer the younger male had wanted or had hoped for, but still, he nestled close against Sebastian's strong body, Ciel didn't want to risk losing him even more by starting an argument about it. He was too tired anyway. Even without the sleeping pill from his aunt, Ciel quickly drifted off to sleep. Sebastian sat there, peering down on the sleeping male while stroking his hair.

"I love you too, Ciel. I really do," he whispered and closed his eyes.

* * *

DAWH! I know you will all love me for this. And for the fact that Vincent punched Sebastian.. I honestly cannot understand why everybody is so anti Sebastian in this story. The poor guy got cheated on and it looks like Ciel is getting away with it because Sebastian never told him he loves him. Ugh, such enigmas you all are, I know that I am on team Sebastian-Claude.

Let me know what you think and if you have ideas that you would like to see happen in the last 2(!) chapters. (I did an exclamation mark because I actually thought it would take me just one more chapter to finish this. Apparently not)

Thank you for reading, my sweet hummingbirds. Let me know your thoughts/hopes/dreams and ideas for this or any of the other stories, and please; review.

_(One month anniversary. Love you, Gail)_


	31. Act 113

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

Ah, one of the chapters I promised to update is finished.. and I am actually quite proud of it. No sex, I can tell you that before hand.. But, I think it'll still appease all those lovely readers out there.

This is second to last chapter. After this, no more Motivate Me. But, have no fear. I fully intent to work harder on Indebted and The Circus Macabre and besides that, I will start some new stories.. so, plenty of smut in the sea yet.

For now, enjoy!

O.

* * *

Vincent had known. He had known that Sebastian was still in his son's room and was now probably in his bed. He had felt it, and it had made his blood boil. If his wife had not threatened to divorce him if he would go up there to break them apart, Vincent would now be dragging the reasons of his son's physical breakdown down the stairs and subsequently kick his marvelous posterior out of his house; for good this time.

So, with his hands tied by an impending divorce, Vincent paced back and forth through his office; his normally neatly combed hair messy, his fancy grey suit and white shirt a disarray and muttering incoherent words under his breath. Ann sat on the brown leather Chesterfield in the corner and sipped her tea, her red eyes following the moves of her brother-in-law almost imperceptibly.

"How can your sister approve of this," Vincent said, halting in the middle of the room and speaking out loud for the first time in half an hour.

Ann lowered her cup, placed it gently on the saucer and leaned forward, putting it on the table in the same delicate manner. Sitting back, she folded her hands in her lap and looked Vincent in the eye.

"She's looking at her son's best interest, and for now, it seems that having Sebastian by his side is what he needs, whether you approve of it or not."

"How can that be in his best interest?" Vincent cried and snapped an accusing finger to the ceiling as if he were pointing at Sebastian. "That man is the reason he is in this state in the first place."

"You cannot prove that," Ann told him calmly. "Nor can you decide what is wise and what isn't; only Ciel can do that, and that is why Rachel doesn't want to interfere. She wants Ciel to be happy, no matter her objections."

Vincent was silent for a moment, his brows mashed together as he seemed to reconsider everything his sister-in-law just said. "But I am his father," he reasoned after a minute.

"That rule doesn't apply here," Ann contradicted. "This is the person he loves and to whom he wants to commit himself."

"I cannot allow that," Vincent said and readied himself to storm up the stairs, not matter the consequences it had on his marriage. "He is my son, my own flesh and blood. I know what's in his best interest and Sebastian is not it."

"It's not even a question whether you allow it or not. Whether you're his father or not. If you want to continue seeing your son, you're going to have to make compromises, even if you approve of his choice or not."

Vincent pressed his lips together to a thin stripe as he tried to keep contain his anger. "I am his father. His family. I shouldn't be the one who has to make the compromises here," he hissed low. Ann inhaled, held her breath for a moment and let it go in a weary sigh.

"You know, Vincent," she began and turned her eyes to the floor, not able to look at him while she shared the painful truth. "Had I not learned to compromise for the people I love, Rachel and I might not even be on speaking terms right now."

Minutes passed in which Vincent studied the hunched over Ann. The red head refused to look him in the eye while she fidgeted with her hands in her lap and stared at the noses of her pumps. The inconvenient truth that they had successfully managed to avoid for all those years now hung between them in unspoken words and neither seemed very eager to say them now.

"Look, Ann," Vincent dragged a hand through his hair. Before tilting her head back, Ann took a deep breath and blinked to hold back her tears. Forcing a smile, she looked Vincent in the eye and raised her hand, palm out to keep him from speaking.

"It's alright, Vincent. I've long learned to live with that; had I not, I am sure I would've lost all contact with Rachel. Had I not known my place as just a bystander, things could've taken a turn for the worst."

"That was an entirely different situation," Vincent said, still persistently defending his point of view on the Sebastian matter and even if he knew in the back of his mind that his sister-in-law was right, he would never admit it.

Ann chuckled and shook her head. "Don't you see, Vincent. No matter the situation, you're trying to get between two people who obviously love each other. It will not end well if you choose to pursue this pointless fishing expedition to break them apart."

Vincent sighed wearily, sank down on the edge of his desk and laced his fingers together in front of him. His voice was timid and his eyes looked genuinely desperate when he asked her for a solution. "What should I do?"

Ann stood, straightened her sweater and looked him straight in the eye. "The way I see it, you have only two options. That is either to let Ciel make his own decisions about this relationship or lose your son entirely."

Vincent swallowed and nodded, turning his eyes to the floor. His torso jerked when he felt her hand on his shoulder for a moment.

"Sleep on it; don't make a decision just yet," she advised him before leaving the room and surrendering him to his own thoughts.

* * *

Waking up, Ciel felt like he had slept under a boulder. His entire body ached, not to even mention the head ache that temporarily made his vision blurry. Blinking at the shadows on the ceiling, he reached beside him. The mattress was still warm.

"Sebastian?"

He heard his voice crack and in passing, the words hurt his dry throat. He cleared it carefully and called out his name again while rolling onto his side. "Sebas-"

The older male looked up at from the spot on the floor he sat on. He lowered his cigarette and tugged at the balcony door to make the gap even smaller.

"Hi," he whispered, and offered Ciel a small smile. "Did I wake you?"

Ciel shook his head, answering in the same soft tone. "The mattress was empty. For a moment, I was afraid you'd left already."

"Nah," Sebastian sucked on the butt of his smoke before he expertly flicked it out the door and closed it entirely. "I was thinking about it though," he admitted while he got to his feet and walked to the bed. "You need to rest."

"That's not like you, sneaking off in the middle of the night like some secret mistress," Ciel mocked, followed by a fit of dry coughs. Sebastian sat down, placed his hand next to the younger male thigh and leaned over him to reach for the glass of water. Ciel gulped it down gratefully.

"I'm not sneaking. I just do not want to cross your father anymore than I've already done. I'm sure that as we speak, he's pacing through his office, thinking of ways to legally get away with murder."

Ciel chuckled, but it was more of nerves than actual amusement. He rolled the empty glass between his hands and kept staring at it, afraid to look up and see that his entire time with Sebastian tonight had been nothing more but a dream. Only when he felt the other weight lift itself off the mattress, did he dare to look up. His eye followed the raven haired male while he walked around the bed.

"You're not leaving, are you?"

Sebastian halted in his way to the bathroom and looked over his shoulder. In the dim light that shone through the gap in the curtains, Ciel could see the smirk that always made Sebastian irresistibly attractive to him.

"Unless you want to join while I take a piss, I'm going to have to leave you for a moment."

Ciel barked a laugh to mask his relief and shook his head. "I'm fine, thank you."

The older male gave him a short nod and continued on his way. Staring at his bare back, Ciel got an idea that made him smirk inwardly.

"Although…"

Sebastian stopped in the doorway and turned to the bed. "Yes?"

Ciel shoveled a little in place, working his tired body up against the headboard. "I could really use a bath. My clothes are drenched with sweat."

Cocking his head to the side, Sebastian squinted and studied the navy haired male through his lashes. The innocent look on Ciel's face was feigned and it betrayed his alternative motives, but seeing beats of sweat pearl on the younger male's forehead, Sebastian could do nothing but comply.

"Let me take a whizz first. I'll be right back," Sebastian said while disappearing in the bathroom and shut the door with his foot.

"Don't forget to wash your hands," Ciel called and he took the gruff groan as a sign that Sebastian had heard him. Smug and satisfied with his own cleverness, Ciel straightened the sheets, folded his hands in his lap and kept an eye on the door, eagerly awaiting the moment Sebastian would walk out; and when he finally did, he even offered him the semi shy and crooked smirk Ciel had hoped for.

"I noticed you don't have a bath," Sebastian mentioned while picking up his sweatpants.

"How remarkably observant of you," Ciel joked with a saucy wink. It made Sebastian chortle. "But we have a bath in the main bathroom."

"Ah," Sebastian said while sinking down on the edge of the bed. "And how do you suggest we get there. You can barely get yourself up in bed."

Ciel blinked at him, his confidence slipping when he saw the serious expression. "I-I thought you could carry me," he stammered and dipped his chin to his chest to hide his flustered cheeks and save himself from embarrassment.

Sebastian grinned, stood and pulled the sheets back. Bending down, he shoved one arm under Ciel's knees and wrapped the other around his back. "Of course you did," he whispered low, his lips forming the words against Ciel's ear. It made him shiver and he was glad he could blame the sudden rush of cool air that blew over his body now that the sweaty sheets were pulled off him.

Sebastian lifted him with ease, as if he weigh no more than a feather. Ciel automatically wrapped his arms around the older male's neck and cradled is head against his cool bare chest. At the door, Sebastian bend a little through his knees to reach the knob and upon opening it, they almost ran into Ann. Looking at the two males, she couldn't help but smirk.

"Whisking him away in the middle of the night? How chivalrous of you," she joked. Ciel chortled. He could see the humor of it, Sebastian not so much. He could only swallow audibly and shake his head, a guiltless expression on his handsome face.

"No… he said he needed a bath. If that is ok with you, naturally."

Ann smiled endearing at how jumpy and polite Sebastian was being. Her eyes slit to her nephew that was safely cradled in the other male's arms. Ciel's lips formed the words _please _and Ann didn't have the heart to ignore his pleads, even if he should be resting rather than coning the poor male into giving him a bath while he should be in bed. Besides, seeing that her nephew was already on the prowl again, confirmed that he was on his way to recovery.

"I don't see why not," she said, stepping out of the way. "The main bathroom is at the end of the hallway," she raised a hand and gestured down the corridor. Sebastian gave her a short nod as a thank you and walked down the hall. Ann watched them disappear in the bathroom and shaking her head with a chuckle, she entered the guestroom.

"There you go."

Sebastian gently seated Ciel on the toilet and went to close and lock the door. He opened the golden colored faucets and poured some soap in it. When he turned back to the younger male, he could not help the endearing smile that forced his eyes and cheek to join upon seeing Ciel fumble with his shirt. He walked over, sank down to his knees and placed his hands over Ciel's trembling ones.

"Allow me," he whispered and easily pulled the shirt over Ciel's head, careful not to be too rough. He threw it towards the hamper near the double sink vanity and helped him to his feet and out of his pants and boxers. Now, standing in front of him, was a naked Ciel. The navy haired male smiled, his cheeks colored. Sebastian wasn't sure if this was due to the fever or sheer excitement. They stood opposite each other, the air thick and the silence tangible. Sebastian coughed and cleared his throat. "You'd best get into the water. This cool air is not conducive for your lungs."

Ciel nodded and let Sebastian help him into the tub. He sighed content at the sweet scent that rose from the bubbles and let the pleasantly warm muscles relax his painful muscles.

"This is what heaven should feel like," he said and put his head back and closed his eyes. Sebastian smiled pleased, sat down with his back against the tub and his legs stretched. For minutes at an end, neither of them spoke. Ciel enjoyed the water and company and Sebastian the comfortable silence. When it was broken, both instantly felt that ensnaring tension again.

"We still need to talk about that night."

Sebastian pinched his eyes shut and sighed. "That can wait, Ciel."

"No it can't," Ciel argued. "The longer we wait, the more time we have to start resenting each other over it. We need to put an end to it."

"You're sick. Your body needs to rest and recover. Putting yourself into a stressful situation is not aiding in that cause," Sebastian stated blatantly, and hoped that his observation would put an end to the discussion.

"I might be sick, but that does not mean I can't speak, or thing," Ciel scoffed. "While you're here, just hear me out for a moment. If you still don't want to talk about it after that, I'll let it rest for now."

"There isn't a lot to talk about anymore. You explained yourself already," Sebastian pointed out blankly. Ciel mashed his brows together and could only conclude that the other male was right. He had already said everything Sebastian needed to know and it was now up to him to decide to either forgive Ciel or not.

"I'm so sorry for what happened," Ciel said, staring at the ceiling. "You'll never know how sorry I am."

Sebastian breathed a laugh. "I think I have a fairly good idea of how sorry you are by now."

Ciel tilted his head and gazed at the back of Sebastian's head. As if he knew the other male was watching, Sebastian turned his head and looked him in the eye, smirking.

"Did you just turn my sickness into a joke?" Ciel asked, trying to keep a straight when in reality, he wanted to jump around the bathroom with joy.

Sebastian's grin grew and he nodded slowly. "So I did. Does it bother you?"

"Not at all," Ciel said and offered the raven haired male a relieved smile before putting his head in his neck again. The awkward moment had passed and the peaceful tranquility returned gradually. Both men kept their mouth and just enjoyed the moment in silence.

"Sebastian?"

"Yes, Ciel."

"I'm really sorry," he whispered and reached out to touch his lover's shoulder for a brief second. His entire body jerked in surprise when Sebastian's fingers curled around his hand, squeezed it and didn't let go.

"I know," he answered and turned his head to look the younger male in the eye. "So am I."

* * *

From the moment Alois and Claude got back to Sebastian's house, the loud fighting over practically nothing harassed Bard during his game and annoyed him to the core. Alois's shrill cries accused Claude of being insensitive and the latter's gruff groans accused the former of being a snarky and hypersensitive diva. In Bard's opinion, both were equally bothersome but he did not really care to get caught in battles of the homos.

When they were well into their second hour of bitching, Bard ran out of beer and made a huge effort to sneak down without being seen. He made it past the open French doors to the living room without the pacing Alois noticing him. He skulked through the shadows and soundlessly opened the swing door to the kitchen. He tiptoed around the cooking island, throwing superstitious looks over his shoulder every now and then. When neither the blonde or the raven haired male came sailing around the corner, he smirked pleased, leaped forward to the fridge and tripped over the cat. The pet mewed loud, hissed dangerously and slithered through the pet flap in the backdoor.

Bard cursed under his breath and lay motionless on the floor. Holding his breath, he tried to determine if he heard footsteps heading his direction. After a couple of minutes, he rolled onto his stomach, pushed himself up and lurked over the counter. There was no trace of either Alois or Claude, so he turned to the fridge, opened it long enough to snatch a six pack from the bottom shelf and got to his feet. With the cat not around to alarm the fighting couple, Bard snuck to the door, humming softly and looking left and right to make sure he didn't get caught. Opening the swing door, he roared loudly and dropped the cans on his foot. Claude arched an uninterested eyebrow at him.

"What are you doing?"

"I was getting a fucking drink," Bard snarled and bend down to pick up the beers. "Why the hell did you sneak up on me like that?"

"Sneaking?" Claude crossed his arms and tilted his head back. "I wasn't skulking through the shadows just now to get a drink."

Bard scoffed, rolled his eyes and pushed the cans under his arms. "How did you even know I was here?"

Claude shrugged, turned on his heels and walked away. "You're not as light on your feet as you think you are and that tune you were humming was so loud I almost couldn't hear myself think. I suggest you keep from doing your own escape theme music next time."

Bard exhaled relieved and leaped to the stairs, beers safely under his arm. When he set his foot on the bottom step, Claude's head popped around the corner of the living room.

"One more thing… put my beers back in the fridge," he said before disappearing again. Bard snorted and muttered curses under his breath while slugging back to the kitchen.

* * *

Close to morning, Sebastian finally managed to slip away from Ciel's side without waking him up. He had watched the younger male sleep for a moment or two before he bend down and kissed his right temple. Gathering the rest of his clothing, he snuck out, got dressed outside the door and walked down the corridor. Throwing a suspicious look over the banister to the empty hallway beneath him, he tried to determine if anybody was already downstairs. Once he crossed the silent hall, he kept looking left and right to make sure Vincent wouldn't appear from some cavity and charge at him. Nothing was less true and he made it safely out the front door.

Outside, the sun was slowly rising above the treetops. He jogged to his car, got in and retrieved his phone from his pants pocket. Starting the engine, he made a skidding u-turn and drove down the lane. With the phone jammed between his shoulder and ear, he drove through the open gate doors and onto the main road.

"_What?!_" Claude snarled sleepily after the phone had rang six times.

"I'm driving home, we need to discuss what to do about the competition."

It was silent for a moment and he heard Claude get up and walk about the room. "_Alright. I'll wake Alois. How's Ciel doing?_"

"About the same. He really can't go on and I wouldn't want him to either. I'll be home in about half an hour or so, depending on traffic. Be up," he said before clicking Claude away and throwing the phone on the passengers' seat. He stopped at the first open bakery, picked up some fresh rolls and drove straight home after. Claude was already making coffee and a disheveled looking Alois was sitting hunched over on one of the barstools, his forehead on his arms.

"What's so important you have to call us out of bed at six in the morning," Claude asked calmly while he pour them all a mug of coffee. Alois just groaned and groped around the counter for his cup of joe.

"Ciel is not going, obviously," Sebastian said while pouring some milk in his mug. Claude arched an eyebrow at him and even Alois raised his head at that.

"No shit, Sherlock," the blonde snarled. "Did you wake us to inform us of something we already know?"

Sebastian chose to ignore him, stirred his milk and continued. "I think we should call the entire thing off. It wouldn't feel right to perform without him."

Claude and Alois exchanged a look. The former cleared his throat after. "Yes. I already called with the management of the competition. They said that if we're not complete, we can't even enter. Those are the rules."

"How do you find time to do all that and take care of this?" Sebastian nodded to Alois. The blonde stuck out his tongue and dumped three scoops of sugar in his drink, tasted it and threw in some more.

"I don't waste as much time on endlessly turning around the issue," Claude remarked coolly. "I know what I want and I go and make it happen."

"Thanks for that snarky comment," Sebastian snorted. "So, did they mention anything about enlisting for next year?"

Once again, Alois lifted his head off his arms and blinked at Sebastian. "Next year? Didn't you hear? We're still going."

Sebastian arched an eyebrow at the blonde and turned his eyes to his best friend. "What is he talking about? You just said that we'd be disqualified anyway."

Claude grinned. "Do you honestly believe that I will take my defeat that easily? We're still going, and I am not leaving until the head of the organization tells me that we should leave or threatens us with a restraining order. We've come too far to just except this minor setback."

"Minor setback? Those are the rules," Sebastian exclaimed. "Besides, why would we want to perform without Ciel? He's the entire reason we're even a band and entering the competition."

"Then wouldn't you agree that in his honor, we should try our best to enter the competition anyway. We worked hard for this, especially Ciel. If we can manage to get them to bend the rules and let us enter anyway, we'll still have a fair shot at winning."

Sebastian mashed his brows together and went over the idea in his mind, chewing carefully on every word Claude spoke. After a minute, he shook his head. "He would want to defeat Aleister himself. It wouldn't be the same."

Claude nodded, a serious frown drawing his handsome face. "Perhaps you're right about that. Hadn't thought of it that way."

"I know for a fact that he wouldn't mind in the least."

Both males turned to the blonde. Alois smiled mischievous and lazily sipped his coffee.

"Well," Claude barked. "On with it. What do you know that we don't?"

"I know that Ciel would give anything to see that asshole being defeated on his own territory."

"And how did you get by this precious piece of information," Claude went on, gnashing his teeth that the blonde was dragging out the climax of his story.

"Ciel called about half an hour ago. Wanted to know if Sebastian was home yet. He not so subtly let me know that he wouldn't mind if we'd go by ourselves and kick that drag in leather pants his ass."

Claude and Sebastian stared motionless at Alois for a moment before turning to each other. Sebastian grinned wide and Claude nodded.

"I'll drive."

* * *

Rachel walked up the stairs with a tray loaded with tea and all Ciel's favorite treats. Now that he couldn't enter the competition and achieve what he had been working for all these months, she knew she would have to try and make him feel better. Vincent had been very pleased to find that Sebastian had left before they had woken up, and Rachel had been surprised to see that even Ciel's mood hadn't dropped because of it. In fact, he had been very talkative and cheerful when she had brought him breakfast and his medication this morning.

Knocking on the door, Ciel yelled for her to come in. He was already sitting up and leaned calmly against the headboard, his eyes focused on the television.

"Sweetie, I brought you some fresh tea and some treats," she said while placing the tray on his nightstand. Ciel didn't seem to listen and even hushed her. Rachel arched an eyebrow at him and turned to the television. "Why are you watching that?"

"Because I want to see Aleister go off like the idiot he is," Ciel said and briefly turned his head away from the moving pictures to offer his mother a wide smirk. "They just finished their set. The new guitarist is a walking disaster. He must've accidentally pulled out the plug on his guitar about ten times."

"Do you think it's wise to watch this, pumpkin?"

"Sshh," Ciel hissed, putting a finger to his lips. "They're about to start," he added and patted on the empty spot next to him. Rachel rolled her eyes, sank down and wrapped an arm around her son. For the first time in years, Ciel let her without sighing about it. The minute the host announced the next group, the crowd went wild on the television, Rachel's jaw dropped and Ciel smirked arrogantly.

* * *

Sebastian took the microphone from the host, thanked her and turned to the cheering crowd. For a moment, he just stared at the filled arena and felt bad that Ciel couldn't be there to join in the overwhelming feeling that now coursed through his body. He finally raised his hand, palm out and gradually silenced the crowd. When the hall was silent, he put the microphone to his lips and spoke.

"It is a privilege to be here tonight. To share with all of you in this moment," he had to raise his hand to once again silence the fans. "Sadly enough, we're not here to join in the competition. As you can see, our lead guitarist, is not present with us today which apparently is in violation with the competitions' rules."

A buzz of protest went through the auditorium. Before it could get out of control, Sebastian spoke again.

"However. We did manage to convince the jury to let us perform just one song, in honor of the man who made all of this possible. The one who is responsible for getting the Funtom Company together…" Sebastian sighed and looked straight into the camera as Alois slowly started on the intro of an improvised version of _Anywhere_. "This has always been for you, Ciel."

* * *

D'AWH, don't we all just love Sebastian? Handsome sexmachine, all sweet for Ciel.

Was that a big an anti-climax as I had hoped it would be. I mean, this entire story was based on working towards that competition and now they don't even get to enter over some trivial rules. And, c'mon.. it would've been too cliché if they would bend the rules for a band, so.. I thought this was more suitable.

Review, let me know what you think and savour the sweet after taste of this chapter. Last one will be up somewhere this week, I promise. Btw, I updated Indebted, go check it out. And last but not least; I fully intent to update** TCM** and **Indebted** this week, so, keep those mailboxes in sight.

La Revedere and if we do not speak again; thank you for all the support you have shown me over the past months. After my break-up, the ups and downs. Honestly, thank you; all of you. Have a happy, healthy, inspirational and splendid New Year.


	32. Act 127

**WRITER'S NOTE:**

_Julie and Karen. This is for you two, a dedication for your unwavering support, motivation and honest opinions. You two are dear to me, and I'll never stop and try to gain your trust in my stories and satisfy your cravings for smut._

Another ending, one that is really close to my heart. Oh, how I adored Motivate Me from the very start. I remember struggling with the first chapter. I was at the start of my fresh break up, I cried all day and felt like a zombie running on alcohol and cooking programs. But, after three weeks, I somehow managed to get myself together and do something about it.

This story has been a support. It gave me an opportunity to forget about my pain and forced me to do something with my emotions rather than bawl and cry like a little girl. It made me think about things and excited to post and see your reactions. It has given me so much, and now that it is over, I can only look back and think that this is my entire grief process. So, I think it'll be hard to let go, and that might explain why I have been dreading to write the ending.

But, I dare not to disappoint you, my dear readers. Like they say, all good must come to an end, and so must MM. It'll open new doors for me, offer other opportunities and knowing I have finished this with a clear conscious, I can move towards working on my own original novel.

As for all of you, I thank you, from the bottom of my heart. You stuck with me through the rants, the drunken prattle and anger. For now, let's take one last trip down the Bayou.

Enjoy!

O.

* * *

_Heavens waiting on down the tracks - Bruce Springsteen, Thunder Road._

Ciel fidgeted nervously with his hands. He'd tug at his tight jeans, than put his hands back in his lap. He'd curl them around his mug of lukewarm hot chocolate, and then ran them through his navy hair.

It had been two weeks since they had been disqualified from the competition. Two weeks of visitations from Sebastian, all strictly supervised by a foul looking Vincent. Fourteen days of medication, prescribed and fed to him by his aunt who never failed to poke him about the progress of his relationship. Three hundred thirty-six hours of his mother's incessant worrying and homemade pastries. Ciel was more than glad that he got as finally declared healthy enough to leave the premises.

He shoved the sleeve of his denim shirt up and checked the time. It was still fifteen minutes too early and he had already been sitting there for over half an hour. Sighing, he straightened his sleeve, cupped his cheek in his hand and gazed out the window. Outside, snowflakes started to whirl out of the navy gray sky. At first, he could easily count them to keep himself occupied, but soon, the mild shower turned into a wintry blizzard.

When the impatient waitress came around, he ordered another hot chocolate and a piece of warm apple and fig crumble to satisfy the grumpy old harpy. She left quickly to frown at the teenagers who were shooting spitballs at the Elvis Presley pictures that covered half the walls of the diner.

Shoveling around on the worn light blue cushions, he tugged at his jeans and bend forward to check if there was anything between his teeth in the chrome napkin dispenser.

"You look good, don't worry about that."

Ciel yelped involuntarily and harshly bit his tongue before turning in his seat. Sebastian smirked lopsided, his eyes twinkling with delight. "How are you doing?"

"Hi," breathed Ciel with a sheepish grin. He got to his feet and gave the taller male a clumsy hug. "I'm fine. It's good to see you without the parental authority looming over our shoulder," he said while sinking back into his seat.

"Very," Sebastian confirmed with a sly grin and tugged his leather jacket off. After sliding into the booth and brushing the snowflakes of the shawl collar of his sweater, he looked up and offered Ciel a charming smile. "How have you really been doing?"

"I've been-" Ciel stopped when the waitress dropped a plate of cobbler in front of him and set his mug of chocolate milk down with a loud thud.

"Your order," she added dryly before turning to Sebastian and retrieving her notepad from her apron and her pencil form behind her ear. "Can I get you anything?"

"I'd like a pint of pale lager and," he reached over the table and picked the menu out of its holder, studied it for a moment and ordered a hamburger with extra bacon and cheese and a large portion of fries and union rings. He chortled at Ciel's raised eyebrow and explained it with a simple. "I'm famished," and his eyes rolled to the cobbler. "May I?"

"Sure," Ciel shrugged and pushed the steaming pie Sebastian's way. "Don't think I can eat or drink anything hot anytime soon," said he will slowly running his painful tongue over his front teeth.

Before gulfing down the entire piece in one, Sebastian looked up and arched an eyebrow. "Because?" He asked, his voice laced with the same concern he had spoken with the past two weeks.

"Just bit my tongue. Nothing serious," Ciel said and waved his hand to pass it off as nothing. Sebastian put his fork down, leaned forward and cupped Ciel's chin. "Let me see."

A bit stunned, Ciel opened his mouth. "Stick out your tongue," Sebastian ordered gently and the younger male followed without further question. Sebastian sucked air through his teeth and clacked his own tongue. "Looks like a nasty bit, maybe this will help," he said and leaned in.

"Sebastian, what are you-" Ciel's question was muffled when Sebastian sucked his tongue into his mouth and gently brushed his own against it. For a moment, Ciel was too shocked to respond, but soon after, he leaned in and eagerly returned the unexpected kiss. That was, until his rational side made him pull back with a sinful blush splattered over his cheeks.

"What are you doing?" He hissed while looking left and right. "What if somebody sees us? This faux pas could be tomorrows' new headline in every newspaper."

Sebastian shrugged, sat back and rammed his fork into the pie, unnecessarily molesting it before bringing a bite to his lips. "I don't care anymore," stated he before stuffing the pastry between his lips and chewing violently. "This is really good," he mumbled, not so subtly changing the subject.

"What has gotten into you?" Ciel asked while picking up his mug. "This is not like you, kissing in public and not caring that the entire diner is staring at us like we're vermin."

"Let them," Sebastian answered and tore another bit of the cobbler. "Want whipped cream?"

"What?"

"Want whipped cream with your cobbler? Because you really need to taste this," he went on and bluntly dunked the bit into the dot of whipped cream and held in front of Ciel's mouth. "Fruity," he said with a sheepish grin.

"You're ignoring the subject," Ciel pointed out. Sebastian waved it away with a soft _pfft_ and persistent held up the fork. "Come on," he pushed. Rolling his eyes, Ciel leaned in and closed his lips around the bite. He was right, it was very good cobbler.

"You've got some whipped cream," said Sebastian and bend over the table. "Sebas-" Ciel fell silent when the raven haired male slowly licked the whipped cream off his lip. After losing all sense of reality for another moment, Ciel shoved his hand in Sebastian's face and pushed him back. "What has gotten into you?"

"We haven't seen each other without a chaperon for two weeks. I missed this, didn't you?" He asked and feigned a hurt pout. Ciel twitched, shook his head and laughed. "It's not that, it's just…" He once again kept his mouth while the waitress came by and placed a loaded plate in front of Sebastian's nose. Without even as much as a thank you, he dug in and sank his teeth in the enormous burger. "Than what is it?" He asked between chewing and jugged back half his pint before brutally attacking the bun again.

"It's like you don't care if anybody will see us like this," Ciel said carefully and threw a cautious look around the diner before continuing in a softer tone of voice. "All the objections you used to have about people knowing you're not the womanizer they think you are. It's almost as if they're gone."

Sebastian's jaws slowed down and he chewed thoroughly while putting the violated burger down. Sliding his hand over the table, he covered Ciel's and looked him in the eye. "I do not care about that anymore. I told you that just now."

Ciel gasped, obviously taken back by Sebastian's words and the determination with which he had spoken them. Briefly, the navy haired male was lost for works and could just stare into the calm crimson eyes. He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and let his eyes wander around the small restaurant. Nobody was paying any real attention to them, or they were very good at hiding it. He couldn't spot telephones or cameras that were kept at ready to take a picture once he turned his attention away. Everything was normal and real life kept going, even after what seemed like a huge confession from the man he loved.

"Why?" Was the first and only word he could produce. Sebastian exhaled a sigh, curled his hand entirely around Ciel's trembling one and used his thumb to rub soothing circles on the sweaty palm.

"Because being with you these past two weeks without having to worry about our career, the press or anything that is remotely related to it made me realize… I treated you so badly, but I was too focused on getting back at the top again, and didn't stop to consider what my foolish actions did to you or the dynamics in the band. I am sorry."

Ciel arched an eyebrow. It had been the things he had wanted to hear all along, but now that they were out in the open, they hung over him like a cloud of guilt. "It wasn't just your fault," he admitted. "I was expecting too much, even though you already made it clear that you wanted to keep our private business out of the media."

"Had I not been that obsessed with glory and fame, things might've gone different," he said through gritted teeth. Ciel saw him turn his eyes to the table and he knew Sebastian was thinking about William. "Had not been that blinded-"

"No Sebastian," said Ciel, shaking his head in a reassuring manner. "That was not your fault. I was drunk and William was there. He took advantage of a very delicate situation and I let him, pure out of ungrounded jealousy."

"I have to confess that I was mad beyond repair. I was disgusted and despised you for unreasonable reasons. But after you fell ill and I got this unbearable fear of losing you, I came to realize that had I not been acting like the uptight prick I was because I used my parents their incapability to love me to keep you at bay, you might not have gotten drunk like that," Sebastian pointed out and jugged back another large gulp of lager. The contradiction between his words and actions made Ciel chortle soft. "But had that not happened, we might not be here right now, talking about our relationship."

"Quite the observation," Sebastian grinned and downed his pint. "Hang on while I get another, you want something?" Ciel shook his head and waved his hand. "I'm good, thanks." Sebastian smiled, shoveled over the cushions and got up. "Help yourself to anything if you're hungry," he offered, gesturing to the loaded plate.

Ciel nodded, produced a soft _mhmm_ and picked a crunchy looking union ring from the platter. Now that they were finally discussion their obstacles, he felt his heart was racing and it seemed to even skip a beat every now and then. He angled his head and scrutinized Sebastian's back. He leaned calmly on the bar and seemed to flatter the foul looking waitress with sweet nothings; got her to smile and even to giggle like a schoolgirl. It irritated him immensely but he kept from displaying a dramatic tantrum over it. When Sebastian walked back, all eyes in the diner seemed to follow him, attracted to his looks and fame like moths to a bug lamp.

"There," Sebastian placed his beer on the table and smoothly slid back into his seat. "Since we are talking about our relations, there is one thing I always wanted to ask but never bothered. You were in therapy and all and…" Sebastian trialed off when he saw Ciel's smile. "What?"

"I wondered when you were going to ask me about that. I'm surprised it took you this long," Ciel said, curling his hands around his now lukewarm chocolate. "The answer is yes. What happened back than has influenced my personality. More than I care to admit."

"What happened?" Asked Sebastian, not even minding his peckish feeling and completely ignoring his fresh beer. "Your mother has told me some of it…"

Ciel nodded. "I know she did. She almost has this convulsive obsession with that part of my history. I was in an accident, in his drunken rage, my boyfriend tried to take the wheel and steered us straight off road and into a rock-face… it has scarred me, deeply. Especially when his bleeding dead corpse slumped against my body and all I could do was wait for the ambulance and firemen to arrive. I regret that I never took the time to fully declare my feelings for him, and that night has tainted my future love life a great deal; I guess it made me more vulnerable and desperate to let the other person know that I care, you know, before it was too late," he looked up with a sheepish smile. "I am sorry for letting it interfere with what we have. You're not Dagger, even if you went ahead and come to my house, dead drunk. You are not him and I try to fully trust that you will never put me in that kind of a situation."

Sebastian nodded slow and gave Ciel's trembling hand a squeeze. "I am sorry, Ciel. I am sorry for ever putting you in the position where you thought you needed to prove anything. I know you care, and I wish I had been a little more open and appreciative of that. I treated you badly, even if all I ever really wanted was to be near you since that day I saw you bump your nose against your locker." Those words made Ciel roll his eye and chuckle, it made Sebastian smile at how happy he looked.

"I guess we were both a bit foolish. Rushing into something so passionate without properly thinking about or discussing the consequences," admitted Ciel. A calm smirked formed around Sebastian's lips and he spoke in an animated tone. "But I reckon it is not very romantic to sit down and each discuss your fucked up memories before _rushing _into something _passionate_," he teased with his honey-like voice. Ciel could only shake his head at that and had to take a sip of chocolate milk to settle his rising hormones.

"But what do we do now?"

Sebastian blinked, thrown of his seductive balance at the simple words that could determine their entire future. He picked up a chip, put it between his lips and sat back, chewing and grinding those words over. "What do we do now," he repeated slow, almost as if in a trance.

"I think it is best to keep up our charades and continue what we have been doing all along. You are right, the world is not ready for homosexuality to enter the country music business and if we want to truly make it out there, it is best to save our true selves under cover. I hate to see everything we worked for fall apart because of some teenage trauma."

Sebastian chuckled a little, it seemed to come from far. As if he was lost in deep thought. His entire body jerked in surprise when he felt his phone vibrate in his pants pocket. He reached, checked the number and contemplated about not picking up for a second. Curiosity got the better of him and he raised a finger at Ciel. "Just a minute," and he shoved his thumb over the screen. "What do you want, Faustus?"

Ciel looked away, trying to give Sebastian some privacy instead of audaciously staring at him while he was on the phone. When he felt Sebastian's hand squeeze his own a couple of times, he turned back and was surprised by the sparkle in his crimson eyes. "We're having a press conference tomorrow about the competition," he said, grinning broadly. Ciel smiled, automatically enthusiastic by Sebastian's excitement. "Yes, Claude. We will go over the details tonight, I promise," Sebastian mumbled into the phone and rolled his eyes at Ciel, adding a playful wink after. It made the younger male beam with newfound interest in this careless side of Sebastian and possibly made him love his lead singer even more.

"Will do, Claude. I have to go, we will pick up some dinner on the way home. Yes, no detours, I promise. See you in a bit." He hung up, stood and retrieved his wallet and dropped some cash on the table. "How did you get here?"

"My mother brought me over. They seem to believe that you can't drive after a pneumonia."

"Well, get your coat and call her when we arrive at my place," said Sebastian while shrugging on his jacket. "You're driving," he concluded and placed his set of keys in Ciel's hand. Following his orders, Ciel put his grey overcoat and loosely draped his blue scarf around his neck. He chortled, rolled his eyes and told Sebastian he looked like his mother when the male wrapped the thick wool closely around his nape and tied a tight knot in it. "She's right, I wouldn't want you sick and back to ordered bed rest again," he lectured.

* * *

Outside, the cold wind immediately blew a gust of snowflakes in their eyes. Ciel followed Sebastian down the sidewalk and up a steep stairs. Half way, he had to stop to catch his breath. He waved away Sebastian's offer to carry him, thinking it would be too awkward. After a minute, he smiled and nodded, signaling that they could continue their struggle up the steps. Sebastian asked him again to be sure, and after a firm conformation, he took Ciel's hand in his own and walked on.

At the top, on a nearly deserted parking lot, stood Mary. Ciel had never been more happy to slide into a drivers' seat, it strangely felt like coming home. He started the engine and was nearly blasted away by the Scissor Sisters. He arched an eyebrow at Sebastian and he just shrugged and laced his hand behind his head. "Just drive," he said and closed his eyes.

On the way to the house, they stopped at a tiny supermarket and bought some frozen pizzas, juice and a pack of mixture Ciel swore he and Alois would turn into delicious brownies. "But not the funny kind," he added firm while putting a jar of peanut butter and chocolate chips into the cart. "Do you have whipped cream at home?" Sebastian shook his head and watched with delight while Ciel pulled products from shelves and it felt good to do these regular things together without having to worry about his image. He could easily ignore the stares and the suspicious eyes of the shop owner that burned in their backs when they walked out, Ciel's hand secure in Sebastian's.

They hadn't even parked yet when Alois already came running up the car. When the engine died, the blonde yanked the door open and hurled himself at Ciel with a loud squeal. "It is so good to see you up and going again," he peeped delighted and planted kisses all over his friends face. Sebastian cleared his throat and leaned, pushing the pushy blonde back with the warning that his queer germs might infect Ciel again. Alois stuck out his tongue, told the older male he was a snarky nag and jumped out of the car in time to avoid Sebastian's flailing arm.

Claude looked up from his notepad and gave them a nod to acknowledge their presences. "He is on the phone again, has been all day. He never makes time for me anymore," said Alois, adding a longing pout. Claude easily ignored it by turning in his seat, crossed an ankle over his knee and tapped his shoes with his pen. Alois rolled his eyes, snorted and jolted to the cooking island. "What did you get?"

"Pizza and this," Ciel rummaged through the paper bag and retrieved the package of brownie mixture. Alois beamed bright and opened his mouth, Ciel beat him to it. "No funny brownies, I recently recovered from a bad pneumonia." Alois shrugged his shoulders. "Fair enough. Sebastian, where do you keep your baking materials."

The male opened the fridge, bend down and retrieved two bottles of beer. "No idea. Try the pantry," he said and walked to the dining table. "Perfect," Alois quipped, grabbed Ciel's hand and dragged him to the adjacent pantry. Sebastian took this time to pull the phone out of Claude's hands, tell the person on the other side he'd call back and hung up.

"What the fuck? Do you know who that was?" Claude fumed. Sebastian opened the bottles with his Zippo, handed one to Claude and nodded to the backyard. "We need to talk."

Claude knitted his brows together, stood and followed his best friend out without question.

Throwing a look out the window, every now and then, Ciel could only wonder what Sebastian and Claude were discussing. They both looked serious while Sebastian took the lead in conversation and Claude just seemed to listen and nod. Alois was chatting up a storm while mixing the batter in a huge bowl. He too noticed the gravity of the tension between the two males, but he choose to ignore it, knowing full well he would find out sooner or later. "So, what is the current situation between you and Sebastian?"

Ciel snapped his head around, a blush of shame burning on his cheeks that he had only half listened to the ramblings of the blonde. "We talked. About us, about our mistakes and the effect it had," he pursed his lips and thought about it. "I think Sebastian is now more open to the possibility of a more public sort of relationship," he decided. Alois grinned and congratulated him before throwing himself back into battle with the thick and sticky batter. "I told you that if you played your cards right, he would come begging. Didn't think it would take cheating and an illness but fair enough, he is open to a more intimate relationship," he looked up and blew a string of blonde hair out of his eyes. "I am very happy for you, for the both of you."

"Thank you, Alois. For everything," said Ciel and touched the blonde's shoulder for a moment. "I don't know how I would've gotten through all of this had it not been for your friendship."

Alois chuckled. "No need to get all sentimental on me. I hardly did anything more than point out the obvious. Now, what is the function of that jar of peanut butter?"

That night, Ciel stayed over at Sebastian's place. He had called his mother and had gotten into a pointless discussion with his father about morals and values. Eventually, he had screamed _I love him and I am staying here_ into the phone and it had cut his father's useless prattle off. Ciel heard his mother threaten his father in the background and it had made that Vincent finally complied and told him to be safe.

For the second since he had known him, Ciel was lying in Sebastian's bed, curled up against his warm body. There was no tension between them, and it was hard to fathom that there had ever been a time where it was so thick, they could almost touch it. They talked, about little nothings and Sebastian's parents. About the childhood he missed and his forced engagement to Angela. Sebastian seemed to completely open himself up, even dared to be vulnerable while he dragged his long fingers through Ciel's navy colored hair. It was one of the moments he could swear that the rest of world did not matter, that it was maybe even non-existing. He just placed his head on Sebastian's strong chest and listened to a mixture of his honey-like voice and his slow and steady heartbeat until he fell asleep. He did not notice the kiss Sebastian pressed on his hair, and the way he pulled up the covers to cover his bare shoulder. He was far away in a well deserved and dreamless sleep, the kind he hadn't had in years.

* * *

The entire room was packed with reports, photographers and camera crews. Ciel had felt sick to his stomach, nervous to the core. It was not his first press conference, but it was the first time that it was broadcasted live, worldwide.

Before going on, Alois told him to just breath. To take a deep breath and let go of the cameras and pressure. To enjoy the moment that they would be making history. It didn't help much, but it rid him of the queasy feeling in his stomach.

There was a modest applause when they walked onto the stage. His father, who had shortly introduced them, tapped him on the shoulder and winked, silently wishing him good luck before disappearing behind the scenes.

The questions were nothing they weren't used to. As usual, Claude took it upon himself to answer most, and he did a wonderful job at it. Sebastian slugged in his seat, his eyes almost focused on his glass of water while he tapped his fingers on the red tablecloth. Ciel looked sideways every now and then, worry drawing his face while Sebastian seemed to become a little more anxious with every passing question.

"Yes, Arthur Randall for the New York Times. We heard that the record label that organized the Country competition was willing to offer you a contract, despite your disqualification. Is this true?"

"That is correct, but we are yet to accept this generous offer. We have been with the Phantomhive record label since the start, thus switching labels is a more personal matter for us," answered Claude.

"Ronald Knox for Rolling stone magazine. What are you going to do now that your band has a name amongst the great country legends?"

Claude angled his head, offered his best friend a knowing smile and a nod. "I Sebastian should answer this question, for all of us," he added. It made Alois and Ciel exchanged a clueless frown before focusing their attention on the raven haired male in the middle. Sebastian took a deep breath and a sip of water after. The minor suspension he created rendered the entire room silent.

"You know. These have been very interesting weeks. Over a thousand hours, I have been presenting a most complicated puzzle, lies and truth all mixed up," he turned his head and looked to his right. Ciel's blue eye was confused, or even a little suspicious. Sebastian smiled and snapped his head back to the mass of reporters. "Shortly after we met, I began to fall in love with Ciel Phantomhive."

A gasp rose in the room. Alois looked at most bewildered and Ciel's jaw slowly dropped. Sebastian raised a hand, palm out to command silence and continued. "I have been a fool, choosing this bands fame over my own feelings and hurting many people in that process. With this said, I would also like to announce that I am retreating myself from the Funtom Company. I do not wish to be part of a world that does not accept me for who I truly am. I know that there have never been any formal hate accusations in newspapers or magazines, but that is solely because we kept it private, and I do not want to do that anymore. I'd rather spend my time with the man I love, than living the lie of a famous hypocrite. Thank you," said Sebastian, and stood and calmly walked away, leaving the room disconcerted.

"Claude," Ciel bend over and grabbed his sweater. "You have to fucking do something," he hissed, careful not the let the reporters overhear. "You have to get him back and make him tell it was a joke." Claude raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "No Ciel, he did this for you, and I fully agree and support him," said he and got up and walked away too.

Helpless, Ciel turned to Alois. The blonde seemed to be lost for words as well, but he quickly recovered himself, got up and leaned on the table, his lips close to his own microphone. "We, as a their friends, fully support both Ciel and Sebastian in whatever decision they wish to make and are nothing be rejoiced for them. That was all, thank you," and he jerked his head to Ciel, ordering him to follow. With a blush of both embarrassment and excitement splattered across his cheeks, the navy haired male left the stage without a word.

Backstage, Ciel learned that Sebastian had already left. When he demanded his father's car keys, Claude told him it would be better to leave him for a moment. "This is a huge deal for him, the biggest sacrifice he ever made. I think he needs some time to get his head together."

Turning to Alois for help was fruitless, for once, even the blonde agreed with what his partner had said. "He's right. He gave up a blossoming career to prove to you how much he loves you. I think he needs his time to mourn."

Ciel knitted his brows together. "But I never asked him to do that!" He spat, flailing his arms around. "All I wanted was to be with him, but if he has to give up his career for that, I couldn't ask such a thing of him."

Claude stepped forward and looming over him, he rendered Ciel silent. "You are more important to him, and I am glad he finally sees that."

Ciel dropped his chin to his chest and sucked on his bottom lip. "But what about you guys? The band? We cannot just give up now that we are on our way to the top."

"We will be fine," Alois assured him and wrapped an arm around his friend. "Just because Sebastian decided to end this career, doesn't mean this opens doors to new options. We'll manage and fight our way back. Him quitting a band has never stopped us before," he added with a wink and it made Ciel chuckle and nod in agreement. "In the meanwhile, all Claude and I want is for you two to be happy. Love and happiness is worth so much more than a lonely career."

"I guess," Ciel wavered and rolled his eye up to Claude. "You two were discussing this yesterday, weren't you?"

"We were, and even though I hate to see him give up on another fruitful career, I could completely understand his motivations. It might not look like it, but I would do anything for that blonde idiot as well" said Claude and gently punched his arm in a friend-like manner. "Now, let's go and toast to what must be the shortest, successful career in the history of country music."

* * *

Early next morning, Ciel drove up to Sebastian's house. His eyebrows shot up in surprise when he saw a _for sale_ sign at the beginning of the lane. Driving up to the front porch, he saw Sebastian walking to his car, carrying a backpack and a box of records. The crimson eyes peered over the edge of the wayfarers and briefly crossed with Ciel's while he parked his car and cut off the engine.

"Morning," he said, walking the gravel lane. Sebastian placed the items in his trunk and closed it with a loud thud. He turned, sat on the trunk and crossed his arms. "Morning," he greeted with a broad smile. It struck Ciel that he looked exactly like the day they met at his university, the comfortable worn jeans, vest and white shirt with rolled up sleeves. It caused a very pleasant shiver down his spine. "Going somewhere?"

Sebastian nodded. "Last night, I bought a penthouse in New York, close to Alois and Claude. They're already on their way back with Bard, both Bard's," he said with a sly grin.

"That is a bit unexpected and rushed," Ciel said while he halted in front of him. "Were you even going to tell me?"

Sebastian retrieved a smoke, lit it with his Zippo and clicked it shut. "It was a spur of the moment thing, and as a matter of fact," he pulled Ciel between his legs and wrapped his arms around his waist. "I was on my way to come and ask if you'd like to come with me."

"To New York?" Ciel exclaimed. "What are you planning on doing there?"

"I have no idea yet. All I know is that I want to leave Memphis and start somewhere new, with you preferably."

"What about my parents? My life here? You expect me to just drop everything and go with you, especially after what you did yesterday."

Sebastian inhaled a huff of tobacco. "As a matter of fact, I do. But, to give you some time to give it some consideration, I planned to take a road trip first, see," he retrieved a map from his back pocket and unfolded it.

"Where would we go?"

"Anywhere," Sebastian said with a playful wink. Ciel couldn't help but chuckle at the reference and angled his head to study the other male's profile. "Are we going to talk about yesterday?"

"In good time, we will," Sebastian answered. "All I can tell you right now is that it seemed like my best option, and I am glad I made it. This opens up other opportunities you might've never thought off."

Ciel arched an eyebrow, a bit rattled at how easy Sebastian made it all seem. Hours ago, he threw away a very lucrative career and now, he was talking about road trips and new options. It seemed too idyllic, and for once, Ciel tried to go along with it. "New York?"

"Absolutely."

"Suppose I never thought about a rock career before," Ciel shrugged.

Sebastian grinned wide, folded the map and pushed it in his back pocket. "Is that a yes?"

Ciel made a quick summary of the past weeks. All the pain he had felt, his desire to be with Sebastian and the pressure the forced secrecy had placed on their relationship. Looking in his crimson eyes, Ciel leaned in and placed his lips against Sebastian's. "Motivate me."

Sebastian smirked and let the younger male drag him into a leisurely kiss. "Get in the car and allow the road to be our redemption."

Without giving it a second thought, Ciel walked to the passengers' seat and slammed the door. He'd call his parents on the road, but it did not matter right now. Sebastian started the engine, allowing Bruce Springsteen's voice to fill the car with an ultimate road song. They looked at each other. "Are you sure?" Sebastian asked. Ciel nodded. "Positive, let's chase that dusty road."

Sebastian smirked, reared his car and drove off, leaving behind Memphis, country and all their insecurities.

* * *

I am nervous. Terribly nervous and unsettled. I know some of you thought that the ending of 'The Circus Macabre' was too easy and not satisfying enough, although, killing off several crucial characters was not that easy, but.. I can only hope this ending will be to each and everyone's satisfaction.

This is it, the end. They're driving towards better futures and richer dreams. I can only wish you will find the ending as hopeful as I did, clearing the way for me to dare and dream of better days.

It has been a tremendous honor, writing for you all, and I am more than thankful that you stuck with me until the end. Please, leave a review and let me know if you appreciated it. I would be really grateful.

Thank you, all of you.

O.


End file.
